From the Hubble Space Telescope

Teacher’s Guide From the Hubble Space Telescope

Exploring Space and Cyberspace An electronic field trip via interactive television and on-line networks into America’s classrooms Project Notes

Programs and Initial Air Dates and Times Contingency Announcement Program 2 Making YOUR Observations Field research on a scientific frontier is March 14, 1996, 13:00-14:00 Eastern inherently unpredictable. Even traditional school trips are subject to weather and dis- Program 3 Announcing YOUR Results ruptions. An electronic field trip is no dif- Live from the Hubble Space April 23, 1996, 13:00-14:00 Eastern ferent: the Telescope programs are dependent on the Please Note: HST operating normally, NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellites being available, Program 1 The Great Planet Debate and all domestic satellite links holding (see first aired November 9, 1995, as an introduction Activity 2D, page 24 below, for more to the entire project. (For videotapes, see below) background on how the electronic images get from Pluto to you!) The production Primary Satellite Coordinates team has put in place contingency plans for most eventualities. In the event of tempo- Ku-band: PBS K-12 Learning Services:Telstar 401, 97 degrees rary loss of signal, live programming will West, transponder 8, horizontal, 11915 Mhz, audio on 6.2 and 6.8 continue from ground sites, interspersed Please note: this refers to carriage on the primary satellite used by PBS. Carriage on with pre-taped segments. the satellite itself does not guarantee broadcast by any individual PBS station. Please Register for on-line Live from the check local listings well in advance of air time to verify local arrangements! An on-line Hubble Space Telescope updates or check listing of confirmed carriage by local stations and educational networks will be acces- our Web site: sible between March 1, 1996 and April 23, 1996. http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/livefrom/hst.html C-band: NASA TV: Spacenet 2, 69 degrees West, transponder 5, On-line Resources channel 9, horizontal, frequency 3880 Mhz, audio on 6.8 On-line resources are a unique element NASA TV has indicated it will carry programs at the time and date scheduled. However of this project and are described in more Shuttle schedules and other factors may modify this. Again, please check current sched- detail in this Guide. Background informa- ules close to air time. NASA TV publishes its daily schedule over NASA Spacelink. The tion is already available, and will remain Live from Hubble Home Page (see under) will also provide a pointer to this information. accessible indefinitely, so long as it remains current. The project’s interactive Tapes of the programs as broadcast will be available from NASA’s Videotapes and collaborative components, such as 10 Regional Teacher Resource Centers and NASA CORE. (For NASA addresses, Researcher Q & A will commence March 1, see the accompanying publication, Space Based Astronomy, pp. 90-91) For NASA 1996, and will be supported at least CORE, phone (216) 774-1051. For other availability, check the Passport to through April 30, 1996. To subscribe via Knowledge: Live from the Hubble Space Telescope Information Hotline: e-mail, contact: 1-800-626-LIVE (1-800-626-5483) [email protected].nasa.gov Off-Air Taping Rights The producers have made the standard public televi- In the body of the message, write: sion Extended Rights period of “one year after initial broadcast” available for free subscribe updates-hst. classroom use. Need more Information? Live from the Hubble Space Telescope is a Passport to Knowledge project. Passport Educators may contact the Passport to to Knowledge is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation, under Knowledge Education Outreach award ESI-9452769. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not neces- Coordinator, Jan Wee sarily those of the Foundation. phone: (608) 786-2767 This project was supported, in part, fax: (608) 786-1819 by the e-mail: [email protected] National Science Foundation with questions about on-line access, broadcast and tape availability, with feed- Live from the Hubble Space Telescope is also supported by the back and suggestions, or with comments Information Infrastructure Technology and Applications Program (IITA) of or queries on any other matter concern- NASA’s Office of High Performance Computing and Communications, the ing Passport to Knowledge or this Live Space Telescope Science Institute (operated for NASA by the Association of from the Hubble Space Telescope module. Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.—AURA), the NASA Astrophysics Division, NASA Education, NASA K-12 Internet Initiative and PBS K-12 Learning Services. @@ÀÀFrom the Hubble Space Telescope

An electronic ﬁeld trip via interactive television, computer networks and hands-on science activities. Made possible in part by NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The National Science Foundation, PBS K-12 Learning Services and public television Dear Educator,

@@ÀÀWelcome to Live from the Hubble Space Telescope! This project marks the very first time that K-12 students have been directly involved in choosing which objects to observe with Earth’s most powerful orbital telescope. And it’s the first time that a unique mix of live interactive video and on-line interaction have given students across America and around the world the opportunity to visit—virtually—via an “electronic field trip,” with the men and women who operate the Hubble. This Guide and the co-packaged hands-on materials are designed to help you and your students prepare for that experience, integrate it successfully into your course of instruction, and make it pay off long after the live videos are over. Many of the Activities you’ll find here directly parallel the processes you’ll see on camera or read about on-line. When your students chart which planets are safe to view with the Hubble (Activity 2C), throw a basketball around the gym to simulate the telecommunications path which brings the Hubble’s data back to Earth (Activity 2D), or make a color image from black and white data @@ÀÀ (Activity 3A), they’ll be mirroring the real-world activities they’ll see the astronomers, mission planners and engineers doing on camera, in the real world of research. Live from the Hubble Space Telescope is targeted primarily at middle schools, but can easily be adapted up or down in grade level. The project features cutting-edge science, but also provides extensive connections across disciplines, including math, social studies, language arts, technology education and computer skills, and it contains information about high-tech careers as well as “pure” research. This is the third in our ongoing Passport to Knowledge series. Old hands will recognize many aspects of earlier Modules. But just like your students, we hope we’ve been growing and learning. We now have a full-time

@@ÀÀEducation Outreach Coordinator, Jan Wee: you’ll find her contact numbers on the inside front cover of this Guide. They are there for educators to use, with questions about any aspect of the project. Our innovative on- line resources continue to evolve. If you’re new to the Internet, you’ll find a section in this Guide designed to get you going. If you use the World Wide Web or have more extensive connectivity, you’ll find graphics, a “Virtual Tour” of Space Telescope and its support network. We hope our project suggests ways in which your students can become authors, creators and publishers on-line, not mere “browsers.” As one elementary teacher said, “Passport to Knowledge doesn’t encourage students just to ‘surf the Net,’ but rather to ‘make waves.’ ” Is there a common feature to all our Modules, ranging as they do from penguins to planets, from the South Pole to Pluto? We hope you agree it’s putting people into the process, so that students discover science not as

@@ÀÀhistory—with all discoveries done by others, many long dead—but as real life in which they can play a role. Passport to Knowledge is “Real Science, Real Scientists, Real Locations, Real Time.” Our project makes interaction with world-class scientists possible for students in schools, at home or from science centers and museums. And our project very much wants interaction with, and feedback from, YOU. On page 40, there’s news about a special inducement to return the Teacher and Student Evaluation forms: a free CD-ROM. But your greatest reward will be to help shape future Passport to Knowledge ﬁeld trips—the better to help you inform, inspire and educate your students. In Fall 1996, we plan to begin Live from Mars—a project which will extend over many years and multiple NASA and international missions. In Winter 1997, we expect to be back in the Antarctic, in the Palmer Peninsula, studying baby seals and and other wild-life close-up, as well as hunt-

@@ÀÀing dinosaur fossils. We hope your success with this current project means you’ll be traveling with us then, and that Live from the Hubble Space Telescope will help you make “Reality” the fourth “R” in your classroom. Thanks for your belief in our planet’s most precious and, we believe, unlimited resource: the minds and imaginations of its young people. Sincerely,

@@ÀÀGeoff Haines-Stiles Project Director, Passport to Knowledge and the Live from… specials

@@ÀÀ Project Staff and Acknowledgments

PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE PROJECT DIRECTOR GEOFFREY HAINES-STILES EXECUTIVE IN CHARGE OF PRODUCTION ERNA AKUGINOW EDUCATION OUTREACH COORDINATOR JAN WEE PRODUCER RICHARD DOWLING ✵ TECHNICAL COORDINATOR GEORGE R. BENEMAN, II Special Thanks CLEARANCE COORDINATOR HUGH ANDERSON and KATHEE TERRY, LISA LEHMAN TRAGER Project ATHENA/SAIC ✷ GREG ANDORFER, ✷ MULTIMEDIA INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT TEAM National Productions, WQED, Pittsburgh SCOTT L. COLETTI, Crittenden Middle School, Mountain View, CA CHARLES BENTON, Films, Inc./PMI, Chicago ✷ LINDA CONRAD, Cupertino Junior High, Sunnyvale, CA JOE BENTON and DEBBIE RIVERA, NASA ✷ ALAN FEDERMAN, NASA K-12 Internet Initiative TV BEN BENZIO and STUDENTS, ✷ WILLIAM A. GUTSCH, JR., past President, International Planetarium Society, and Connellsville Jr. High West, PA PAULA former Chairman, Hayden Planetarium, NY BLIZZARD, WINSOME MUNDY and LAURISSA ✷ PAT HADDON, Science Teacher/Grade 6 Team Leader, Summit Middle School, Summit, NJ RICHARDS, RSPAC, WV JOE BREDEKAMP, ✷ THOMAS W. KRAUPE, President Elect, International Planetarium Society, and NASA Office of Space Science BILL Director, Forum der Technik Planetarium, Munich, Germany BURNETTE, NASA-Industry Education Initiative ✷ PATTY MILLER, KidScience Teleschool Teacher, Hawaii Department of Education & Tri-State Education Initiative SUSAN ✷ LINDA MORRIS, Director of Education/Center Director, Buehler Challenger & Science Center, Paramus, NJ CHASE, OLPA, NSF HALL DAVIDSON and ✷ MARC SIEGEL, NASA K-12 Internet Initiative KATHRYN HULCE, KOCE KIMBERLY ✷ CAROLYN SUMNERS, Director of Astronomy and Physics, Houston Museum of Natural Science GONZALEZ, NASA Classroom of the Future APRIL S. WHITT, Fernbank Science Center, DeKalb County School District, Atlanta, GA FRITZ HASLER and ALAN NELSON, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center ✷ DAVID HAVT, PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD International TeleEducation, Inc. ✷ DAVID DALE ANDERSEN, Exobiologist, NASA Ames Research Center ✷ LINDA BILLINGS, Arlington, VA HOWE, Step Star ✷ THERESA HUDKINS, PAO, BRUCE DALEY, Clark County School District, Las Vegas ✷ APRIL KECK DEGENNARO, Teacher, Honolulu ✷ NASA HQ ✷ GARTH HULL and TOM JOSEPH D. EXLINE, Curriculum Consultant, VA ✷ D. A. HARPER, Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, CLAUSEN, Education Office, NASA Ames University of Chicago ✷ CAMILLE MOODY, NASA Education Research Center ✷ WILLIAM LIKENS and JOHN RUMMEL, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA ✷ THOM STONE, NSI/Sterling Software ✷ PAUL HUNTER, HPCC-IITA, NASA ✷ WES JAMES S. SWEITZER, PH.D., Associate Director, HUNTRESS, Associate Administrator for Space Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica, University of Chicago Science, NASA ✷ GEORGE MILES and MEL ASTRONOMICAL CONSULTANTS AND “PLANET ADVOCATES” MING, WQED, Pittsburgh ✷ WILLIAM ✷ RETA BEEBE, New Mexico State University MARC BUIE, Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Arizona MILLMAN, USIA Worldnet ✷ EIKO ✷ HEIDI HAMMEL, Massachusetts Institute of Technology CAROLYN PORCO, University of Arizona, Tucson MORIYAMA, LA USD ✷ CHERI MORROW ✷ SPACE TELESCOPE SCIENCE INSTITUTE ROBERT MYERS, NASA COTF ✷ JOAN PIPER ROBERT E. WILLIAMS, Director ✷ ETHAN SCHREIER, Deputy Director and ELIZABETH KNIGHT, Museum of Flight, MIMI BREDESON, Deputy ✷ CAROL CHRISTIAN, Office Head, Public Outreach Seattle, WA ✷ ALAN LADWIG, Advisor to the ANNE KINNEY, Education Manager and Project Scientist ✷ PATRICIA PENGRA, Outreach Services Manager Administrator, NASA ✷ MARK LEON, IITA, LAURA DANLY, Education Project Scientist ✷ CAROLE REST, Education Program Analyst NASA Ames Research Center ✷ FRANK CHERYL GUNDY, Public Affairs ✷ ALEX STORRS, Planning Scientist, Moving Targets OWENS, MALCOM PHELPS, PAM ZOLT LEVAY, Computer Specialist for Image Processing ✷ AL HOLM, Manager, OPUS MOUNTJOY, RICK SMITH, NASA Education ✷ TONY ROMAN, ROB LANDIS, KARLA PETERSON and ANDY LUBENOW, Program Coordinators MARTIN RATCLIFFE, Head, Buhl Planetarium, WALT FEIMER, Astronomy Visualization Laboratory ✷ ED WEIBE, Engineer (Allied Signal) Pittsburgh, and CAROLYN DIETRICH, CAROL GINGER FRENCH, Video Producer ✷ RAY VILLARD, News and Information Manager SCOTT, DENA TARSHIS, DAN MALERBO, JIM KIM ZEIDLER, Teacher Intern ✷ PAT MOMBERGER, Administration Coordinator HUGHES, Carnegie Science Center ✷ PAT NASA GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER RIEFF, Rice University ✷ MARGARET RIEL, JOHN CAMPBELL, Associate Director of Flight Projects for Hubble Space Telescope Interlearn, Encinitas, CA ✷ PAM ROCKWELL, ANN MERWARTH, Project Manager for HST Operations and Ground Systems K-12 Learning Services Newsletter ✷ JAN PRESTON BURCH, Deputy Project Manager for Operations, HST Operations and Ground Systems Project RUFF, PRESTON BURCH, PAT KENNEDY, CHRIS WILKINSON, Deputy Operations Manager ✷ JAN RUFF, Public Affairs/Education NASA Goddard Space Flight Center ✷ KITTY TAMMY JONES, PAO ✷ PAT KENNEDY, TV Production Supervisor (Allied Signal) SALINAS, TEAMS, Los Angeles ✷ GERHARD ✷ NASA K-12 INTERNET INITIATIVE SALINGER and ROD CUSTER, NSF FRED KAREN TRAICOFF, NASA Ames ✷ JENNIFER SELLERS, Sterling Software SHAIR, RICH ALVIDREZ, GIL YANOW, DAVID MARC SIEGEL ✷ LINDA CONRAD ✷ ALAN FEDERMAN ✷ SUSAN LEE SEIDEL, JIM WILSON, Education Office, NASA ✷ MIKE DEFRENZA ✷ NATHAN HICKSON, I-NET ✷ CHRIS TANSKI JPL DENNIS SMALL, OSPI, Washington State Department of Education ✷ JEFF PBS K-12 LEARNING SERVICES ROSENDAHL and MIKE KAPLAN, Astrophysics SANDRA WELCH, Executive Vice President, Education ✷ FRANCIS THOMPSON Division, NASA HQ ✷ ED WEILER, HST TOM FLAVELL ✷ CINDY JOHANSON Program Scientist, NASA ✷ FLINT WILD, SPACE TELESCOPE-EUROPEAN COORDINATING NASA SpaceLink ✷ BERNIE WITHROW, Seton FACILITY, GARCHING, GERMANY Hill College Talent Search PIERO BENVENUTI, Head ✷ ROBERT FOSBERY, ST Information Scientist RUDOLF ALBRECHT, ST Data and Software Table of Contents

Introductory Articles 29 Program 3: Description 1 “Dear Educator…” welcome from the Project Director 30 Activity 3A The Universe in Living Color 4 Setting out on an “Electronic Field Trip” 32 Activity 3B Watching the Weather Move 6 How to Use this Guide 35 Activity 3C Planetary Storms/Observing 8 “Hubble meet Hubble” the astronomer and the telescope Convection Currents 10 Live From… and science reform 36 Activity 3D The Interplanetary Weather Report

12 Opening Activities: Project Objectives/Program 1 Closing Activities 13 Activity 1A Planet Tours, Inc. 38 Activity 4A Writing Across the Solar System 14 Activity 1B Painting Planets 39 Activity 4B “Lights… Camera… the Universe!” 16 Activity 1C The Great Student Solar System Model 40 Activity 4C Hubble in the Headlines 41 Glossary 18 Program 2: Description 42 Going On-Line: an educator’s primer 19 Activity 2A Using a Concave Mirror to focus Radiation 44 Resources 20 Activity 2B Hubble: A Very Big Eye in the Sky 45 Student Evaluation form 22 Activity 2C Observing “Moving Targets” with the HST 46 Teacher Evaluation form 24 Activity 2D Bouncing Data Around the World 48 Content/Process Grid 26 Activity 2E Pictures from Outer Space Inside back cover: Data Signal Path/Activity 2D Diagram

From our home on the Earth, we look out into the distances and …the telescope has released the human imagination as no other strive to imagine the sort of world into which we are born. Today implement has ever done… the development of the telescope we have reached far out into space. Our immediate neighborhood marks, indeed, a new phase in human thought, a new vision of life… we know rather intimately. But with increasing distance our knowl- H.G. WELLS, “The Outline of History” edge fades, and fades rapidly, until at the last dim horizon we search among ghostly errors of observations for landmarks that are We hope to ﬁnd something we hadn’t expected. scarcely more substantial. EDWIN P. HUBBLE The search will continue. The urge is older than history. It is not sat- isﬁed and it will not be suppressed. EDWIN P. HUBBLE

The worst thing that has happened to science education is that the THIS TEACHER’S GUIDE WAS COMPILED, EDITED great fun has gone out of it… (instead, science should be) …high AND/OR WRITTEN BY adventure …the wildest of all explorations ever taken by human GEOFFREY HAINES-STILES and ERNA AKUGINOW beings, the chance to catch close views of things never seen before, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS BY the shrewdest maneuver for discovering how the world works. JOSEPH D. EXLINE, JAN WEE, PAT HADDON, MARC SIEGEL and LEWIS THOMAS, researcher and essayist THE PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPMENT TEAM ASTRONOMICAL ACTIVITIES WRITTEN BY WILLIAM A. GUTSCH, JR.

TEACHER REVIEWERS ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE FOR LIVE UPLINKS SITES SCOTT COLETTI, PAT HADDON, PATTY MILLER, FURNISHED BY BUHL PLANETARIUM, CARNEGIE SCIENCE CENTER, PITTSBURGH ✷ WQED, LINDA MORRIS, APRIL WHITT PITTSBURGH ✷ SETON HALL COLLEGE TALENT SEARCH ✷ CONNELLSVILLE JR and KIM ZEIDLER (STScI) HIGH WEST ✷ PROJECT ATHENA ✷ WASHINGTON STATE OFFICE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION ✷ MUSEUM OF FLIGHT, BOEING DESIGN/COVER DESIGN AND LAYOUT FIELD, SEATTLE ✷ STEP STAR/ESD 101 ✷ JET PROPULSION LABORATORY, CAROL RICHMAN PASADENA, CA ✷ LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT ✷ TEAMS DISTANCE LEARNING, LA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION ✷ BAVARIAN TELEVISION ✷ HST JOURNAL AND/OR INTERVIEW EXCERPTS COURTESY ✷ EUROPEAN COORDINATING FACILITY, EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY GODDARD MARC BUIE, HEIDI HAMMEL, ANNE KINNEY, SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, NASA TONY ROMAN and ALEX STORRS FOR CUSEEME AND VIDEOCONFERENCING ASSISTANCE, HOUSTON MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE POEMS COURTESY FOR INTERNET PARTICIPATION IN BRAZIL, 6TH-8TH GRADE STUDENTS from SUMMIT MIDDLE SCHOOL, NJ COMPAQ COMPUTER, FUTUREKIDS, USIA WORLDNET

Turn your TV and computer into a “passport to knowledge” and reach out to Neptune and Pluto via NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope Passport to Knowledge is an ongoing series of “electronic field trips to scientific frontiers.” It’s designed as an innovative learning experience that integrates live interactive telecasts, pre-taped video backgrounders, responsive computer communications and hands-on in-class activities to allow you and your students to travel, virtually, to places that would otherwise be almost impossible to visit. Before now, no K-12 students have ever had the opportunity to suggest what the Hubble Space Telescope should observe, and then been able to participate as the actual orbits are planned and executed. This will be the first time, ever, that live cameras have been allowed into the Mission Operations Room at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, bringing students as close as it’s possible to get to Space Telescope unless you’re an astro- naut on a servicing mission. Because of its educational mission, Passport to Knowledge is being allowed to boldly go where not even the commercial broadcast networks and NASA Associate Administrators were permitted! It’s a unique privilege, and we hope you and your students take full advantage of it. You earned this access in large part by your commitment of time and energy to the “Great Planet Debate” which demonstrated to NASA how interested elementary, middle and high school students are in the planets, people and processes to be seen in Live from the Hubble Space Telescope, (LHST). Project Components: “The Three ” Live from the Hubble Space Telescope uses the complementary contribu- NASA’s Interest in tions of the three T’s—Television, Telecommunications and you, the Teacher—to help students become active participants in some of the most Promoting Public Uses of challenging and exciting scientific research currently underway. the Internet elevision Support for Passport to Knowledge: The two upcoming live programs are key components, but they will Live from the Hubble Space Telescope contribute most to your students’ learning experience if Activities and comes, in part, from the Information lessons precede and follow them, as many teachers chose to do as part of Infrastructure Technology and Live from Antarctica (LFA) and Live from the Stratosphere (LFS). You may find Applications Program (IITA) of the 30 minute introductory program, “The Great Planet Debate” (first aired NASA’s Office of High Performance November 9, 1995, but still available on tape from NASA CORE and being Computing and Communications. Our re-broadcast by some PBS stations—please check local listings!) is still of integrated multimedia project coincid- interest, even though we now know the “winners” of the debate. The pro- ed with NASA’s commitment to gram provides background on HST, the target planets, and the overall demonstrate and promote the timetable for the project. increased use of the nation’s vast but hitherto under-utilized treasury of “Making YOUR Observations” (March 14, 1996) will provide a “first Earth and Space Science Data. We look” at our collective observations of Neptune and Pluto, and we hope for hope you and your students will mine considerable excitement as we see just what we’ve captured! the wealth of information and marvel “Announcing YOUR Results” (April 23, 1996) will reveal the first sub- at the instructive and often beautiful stantive findings from the Passport observations: the 5 week period between images that await you, just an on-line the programs is relatively quick for analysis and review, but we hope for connection away. some significant announcements from our Planet Advocates and those students who’ll be working alongside them, virtually, with the new images.

4 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE What Teachers Said About elecommunications “The Great Planet Debate” No project could ever provide sufficient video uplink sites to connect all students who might wish to interact with researchers at the remote field sites, It is really rewarding for me as a teacher whether in Antarctica, the stratosphere or Baltimore (home of the Space to see student interest so high in something Telescope Science Institute.) But on-line networks allow us to extend the scientific. The Planet Advocates have almost interactivity symbolized by the live, 2-way video and audio into every school reached the “star” quality that my students and class across the nation, and indeed, around the globe. We plan for partici- usually reserve for athletes and movie stars. pation from Brazil, Europe and elsewhere, by students watching over USIA’s They’ve been thrilled to read the messages Worldnet or other links. that have come in on the computer from all Our on-line components allow students to send e-mail to experts, some of over the United States and the world. They whom have been seen on camera, and to receive responses to their specific, don’t even realize that they are learning. individual questions. Field Journals, or research diaries, provide personal behind- RUTH WAHL science teacher, Allegany- the-scenes insights into the people, places and processes seen on camera. Even Limestone Central School, NY more than in previous projects, LHST will support collaboration between teachers and students, and feature the results of such on-line collaboration during While watching my students evolve the live telecasts. (see Going On-line, p. 42 for more details) from a class into a “think tank” I have been able to share in their excitement, This Guide provides basic information—and we hope some encourage- enthusiasm and their learning process. ment and motivation—to go on-line if you’ve not done so before. Once on- They came to me and shared their new line, you’ll find many more specific suggestions about how to use e-mail and discoveries and information in a manner the project’s Web pages. which filled me with pride in them. This is The eacher a great group, and remember these are This Guide and the accompanying “mini-kit” of additional publications High School soph., jr. and sr. It is not often and discovery tools are designed for you, the Teacher. They provide practical, they can be so outwardly enthusiastic. We hands-on Activities for middle school students, often with suggestions about are looking forward to the final decision, adapting them to lower or higher grades. You’ll find icons indicating which and whatever the outcome, we are Activities can connect across the curriculum, linking science with math, social already planning the “Observing Party!” studies, language arts, and other disciplines. We’ve also provided a Matrix or ROB THERIAQUE, Aerospace Studies, grid showing how the various Activities, grouped by program, embody the Nashua High School, NH suggestions of the AAAS’s Project 2061 (Benchmarks for Science Literacy) and the California Science Framework. We are very interested in how the entire ALL of us sitting in on this discuss-hst project works for you, and welcome your feedback by mail or e-mail. “debate” panel are… ▼ celebrating the empowerment of stu- Format of the Teacher’s Guide dents, students actively participating not only in a decision-making process Each activity in LHST is designed to: but in their own education, learning ▼ Engage: capture student interest by preparing them to experience the by working in collaboration videos, or by encouraging them to use the suite of available learning tools. ▼ celebrating the teaching of science ▼ Explore: help students construct ideas from first-hand observation and involving hands-on research, careful experiment, using hands-on Activities. observation, recording and reporting of ▼ Explain: provide you, the Teacher, with sufficient background to allow data, comparing and sharing of infor- you to facilitate student learning with specific content and teaching mation, and drawing conclusions strategies, suggested in this Guide, accompanying publications and in the ▼ celebrating student motivation to on-line materials. learn because they were provided ▼ Expand: review and reinforce concepts, and reteach by tapping visual, with a real “listening” audience, auditory, tactile, kinesthetic and other learning styles. Several activities acquiring confidence and expertise lend themselves to a form of embedded assessment: for example, Activity ▼ celebrating students becoming global 4A, “Writing Across the Solar System” and 4B, “Lights… Camera… The citizens and understanding that the Universe” require an understanding of the new science discussed in the world is their community programs, but also creativity, authoring, presentation and publishing ▼ celebrating students experiencing the skills. Such extensions of the project will also provide you with concrete power of technology evidence about what your students “got” from their participation. MARILYN WALL, 4th grade teacher, Wayland Elementary, Bridgewater, VA

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 5 How to Use this Guide

Tips to help you implement Live from the Passport to Knowledge Hubble Space Telescope Guiding principles his Teacher’s Guide and mini-kit closely follows the format devel- ▼ All students can understand and oped for Live from Antarctica and Live from the Stratosphere. Your be successful in science. Science feedback rated those materials high in quality, but we hope you also T has applications for us all in find we’ve added some “New and Improved” features. You should assume resolving life’s problems every Activity is great for Science classes, but we’ve added Computer and Art ▼ icons to those already indicating interdisciplinary opportunities for Social Science should be learned as Studies, Language Arts and Math. There’s a two-page overview of how both content and process to Passport to Knowledge and the Live from… specials can help you, the Teacher, develop life-long learning skills implement some of the most important recommendations which have been ▼ New and emerging technolo- published by groups such as the National Academy of Sciences and AAAS’s gies should be used to pro- Project 2061. Written by Joe Exline (former head of Virginia’s NSF-funded vide effective learning, and State Systemic Initiative, current Executive Secretary of the Council of State these technologies should be Science Supervisors and a Consultant to Passport to Knowledge), these sugges- used creatively tions may help you both in the classroom and in the front office, when an ▼ Learning in science must Administrator asks you just exactly what you think this “electronic field trip” reflect the latest research in does for education and your mandatory course of instruction! To help maxi- science, and the science of mize the value of the videos, and to help you create a receptive “set” in your learning (pedagogy) students, we’ll be posting narrative scripts for the taped segments on-line, one ▼ Science is best learned in an week in advance of the live programs. immediate environment that enables active learning and pro- The Activities vides effective interaction with As in previous projects, the Activities suggested here relate closely to the the extended environment real-world research you and your students will see during the live videos and ▼ The use of a variety of sys- read about on-line. They were developed to help make otherwise abstract tematically-related instruction- aspects of, for example, image processing come to life. “The Universe in al resources are important for Living Color” (Activity 3A, p. 30) provides a hands-on experience using the effective learning color filters co-packaged with this Guide to show how computers transform ▼ The successful achievement of black and white images into stunning Hubble pictures, samples of which student learning is the ultimate you’ll also find enclosed. We’ve even researched which brands of colored aim of education and there- markers give you the best results! (see Activity 3A, Materials, p. 30) fore student evaluation should Throughout this Guide and in all the various media we employ, we’ve tried be a valid measure of the to make LHST a “turnkey” project, so that you’ll find sufficient substance, sug- learning objectives gestions and support to allow you to orchestrate a successful experience for your ▼ Active learning leads to students, no matter your level of technology or prior training, whether you’re meaningful understanding an astronomy buff or relatively unfamiliar with the latest data.

PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE ICONS Language Arts Math Social Studies Technical Education Computers/On-line Art

6 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Co-packaged Materials Co-packaged with the LHST Teacher’s Guide come several existing publications, and materials designed to support hands-on activities: NASA’s Space Based Astronomy provides background relevant to the Hubble field trips (specifically on the electromagnetic spectrum), an excellent Glossary, and a listing of other NASA resources and how to order them. A selection of Hubble’s “Greatest Hits,” in and beyond our solar system: these color lithographs, supplied by the Space Telescope Science Institute, speak for themselves as stunning pictures, but when you want to go beyond the beautiful imagery you’ll find explanatory captions on their reverse. STScI also cooperated with Passport to Knowledge to permit us to print a special LHST edition of the Eagle Nebula poster, one of the most beautiful and thought-provoking space images ever. Hubble Space Telescope: New and Improved from STScI’s Starcatcher series provides background on HST and its operations, on the 1994 Shoemaker- “Writing Science” Levy 9 comet impact on Jupiter, and other useful information. Throughout this Guide and Students can literally get their hands-on the Hubble with the copy master on-line you’ll find many samples of pages for a card or paper model of Space Telescope, duplicated from a NASA writing and using language. Our original. Since we’re committed to making each Passport to Knowledge project Planet Advocates recall what as easy to implement as possible, we’ve also included samples of several items hooked them on astronomy, and needed for various Activities: heat-sensitive paper and UV beads for Activity middle school students offer poetry 2A, capturing InfraRed and UltraViolet radiation in memorable ways; color about the heavens. On-line you’ll filters for 3A (you can find out how to order larger quantities of these materi- find Field Journals from STScI and als in the Resources section, p. 44); and 4 pages of Earth and interplanetary other NASA centers, rich with weather images to be copied for Activity 3B. anecdotes about working with the Hubble day-by-day, when things are running smoothly, or when Sufficient structure for success. someone has to pull an all-nighter Flexibility enough for local adaptation to get the numbers right to catch a Passport to Knowledge recognizes that each school and teacher is unique. comet on camera. We hope you’ll We’ve tried to provide enough information to make LHST successful for you find these worth sharing with your and your students, whether you only watch the videos and use this printed students: they emphasize that cut- Guide, or go on-line with simple e-mail, or browse far and wide with full ting-edge astronomy engages the Internet access. There’s no “one right way” to use the project. We encourage imagination as well as the intellect, you to pick and choose those aspects which work best for you and your students, and demonstrate that contemporary adding parts of your regular curriculum which can be enlivened by this electron- science involves communicating ic field trip to see HST, Pluto and Neptune close up. (Please, share your experi- with others along with collecting ences, successes and frustrations with your peers and colleagues all across the hard data and crunching numbers. nation and the planet, via discuss-hst, our on-line teacher co-laboratory.) Above all, we hope the multiplicity of voices will emphasize the human On-line: A Unique Opportunity dimension of the project, and Though we encourage flexibility, we’d not serve you well if we did not engage and motivate your students. emphasize that the on-line resources referred to throughout this Guide and In our Opening and Closing referenced in the videos are extremely important. Passport to Knowledge is per- Activities, you’ll find suggestions haps best utilized as a thoroughly integrated multimedia experience in which about how your students can write the Video, Print and On-line components are of equal value, delivering differ- Journals and create other literary ent but complementary experiences. The on-line materials permit a degree of material. These Activities should interactivity with the Hubble team impossible through any other medium. help them first get into the project The on-line collaborations, such as the Star Census (continued from LFS to and later synthesize their learning. permit more national and international participation) and “Weather or This allows you to assess what Not?”—new for LHST and specifically seen during Program 3—provide a they’ve gained, and helps us all model for communication with peers across space and time which is an intro- evaluate what works. duction to the world of work your students will inhabit.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 7 Hubble Meet Hubble

Edwin P. Hubble, 1889-1953

As a child, Edwin Powell Hubble wandered the As he con- Kentucky countryside, observing the habits of birds and tinued to study animals. As an adult, he scrutinized the stars and galaxies. galaxies, he con- Although Hubble was always interested in science, he did- cluded that they n’t settle on a career in astronomy immediately. He were moving received an undergraduate degree from the University of away from Earth Chicago in 1910, where he also lettered in basketball and at velocities pro- almost became a professional boxer. He studied law under portional to their a Rhodes scholarship at Oxford University, in England, distance. This passed the bar exam, and practiced law briefly and half- supported the heartedly. He “chucked the law for astronomy… I knew concept that the that even if I were second-rate or third-rate, it was astrono- universe origi- my that mattered.” Hubble completed graduate studies at nated in a cosmic the Yerkes Observatory of the University of Chicago, explosion, and credit: American Institute of Physics where he began his examination of spiral nebulae. He that all the mat- earned his doctorate in 1917 and was invited to join the ter in the universe was expanding from an initial Big Bang. Mount Wilson Observatory in Pasadena, California. But The galactic survey resulted in “Hubble’s law”: the more Hubble didn’t yet begin the studies which made him distant the galaxy from Earth, the faster it moves away. Of famous. Answering the call to World War 1, he enlisted in course, if all the galaxies originated from one explosion, the infantry, telegraphing observatory personnel, “Regret residents of other galaxies would see the same thing: a uni- cannot accept your invitation. Am off to the war.” verse of fleeing galaxies with the more distant ones moving Two years later he finally began working with the more rapidly. Hubble found that the ratio of the velocity of instrument that would enable him to make his greatest dis- receding galaxies to their distance from Earth is constant coveries—the 100-inch reflector at Mount Wilson, at the —the “Hubble constant”— a significant astrophysical num- time the largest telescope in the world. Except for four ber still not calculated with certainty today. Current esti- years of service in World War ll, Hubble was devoted to mates of the “Hubble constant,” and thus the rate of astronomy until his death in 1953. expansion of the universe, differ by a factor of two. Still more powerful telescopes are needed to make more precise Hubble’s patient, painstaking observations revealed a measurements and determine whether the universe will much larger universe than anyone had imagined. He was expand forever, or halt and perhaps reverse. enchanted by dim, foggy patches called “nebulae,” the Latin word for cloud. One called Andromeda was the most The Hubble Space Telescope builds on Hubble’s spectacular nebula observed during the early decades of the research, measuring distances with greater accuracy than century, but telescopes weren’t powerful enough to see if it ever before possible, and returning beautiful and instruc- harbored any stars like the vast stellar populations of the tive images of galaxies which Edwin Powell Hubble Milky Way. Since the 18th century, scientists had argued would have loved to see. It is altogether fitting and prop- about whether these areas were “island universes,” separate er that this premier space observatory is named for the galaxies, or simply clouds in our galaxy. Was the Milky American astronomer whose work revolutionized mod- Way the only galaxy? Was it the center of the universe? ern astronomy. Hubble’s research proved that larger, more powerful telescopes are needed to see more of the In 1924, Hubble ended the debate when he reported universe. He assisted in the design of the 200-inch Hale stars in the outskirts of Andromeda, and found a special telescope at Mount Palomar near San Diego, and made kind of star, known as a Cepheid variable, which reveals its the first observations with it. When asked what he distance by the way its light regularly brightens and dims. expected to find with the new telescope, he said, “We Careful observations of the Cepheids enabled him to mea- hope to find something we hadn’t expected.” With the sure the distance to Andromeda, far too many light-years Hubble Space Telescope, this quest continues. away to be in our galaxy. He moved on to classify the galaxies, grouping them by size and shape, and established that many other nebulae were also galaxies, even more distant than Andromeda. Hubble measured the depths of space out Adapted, with thanks, from Exploring the Universe to 500 million light years, distances far greater than any pre- with the Hubble Space Telescope. edited by Valerie Neal, vious surveys. NASA, NP-126, p. 18

8 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE The Hubble Space Telescope, 1990-20??

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a cooperative Sun or Moon, program of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the switching National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) communica- to operate a long-lived space-based observatory for the tions antennae benefit of the international space community. An obser- and data trans- vatory in space was first dreamt of in the 1940’s, long mission modes, before being designed and eventually built in the 1970’s receiving command and 1980’s and becoming operational in the 1990’s. HST loads and downlink- is a 2.4 meter reflecting telescope encased in a protective ing data, calibrating shell housing cameras and other instruments, solar panels and similar tasks. (see for power and communications antennae. It’s the size of Activities 2C and 2D, a school-bus, 13.1 meters long, 4.27 meters in diameter, pp. 22–24, for further background.) and weighing some 11,000 kilograms when launched. When STScI completes its master observing plan, the HST was delivered into low-Earth orbit (600 kilometers) schedule is forwarded to Goddard’s Space Telescope by the crew of the space shuttle Discovery (STS-31) on Operations Control Center (STOCC), where the science April 25, 1990. To counteract the telescope’s gradual fall and housekeeping plans are merged into a detailed opera- from orbit (the result of the solar wind) and to protect tions schedule. Each event is translated into a series of the spacecraft against instrument and equipment failures, commands to be sent to the on-board computers. NASA planned regular servicing missions, for which Computer loads are uplinked several times a day to keep Hubble has special grapple fixtures and 76 handholds. the telescope operating efficiently. Some limited real-time The first servicing mission by STS-61 (Endeavour) in commanding for target acquisition or filter-changing is December 1993 was an enormous success. During exten- performed, if the observation program has been set up to sive and carefully-rehearsed space-walks, astronauts allow for it. Spontaneous control is not possible. added corrective optics to fix a problem with the HST’s Engineering and scientific data from HST, as well as main mirror, which had been mistakenly manufactured 2 uplinked operational commands, are transmitted through microns too flat at the edge, resulting in less than opti- the Tracking Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) system and its mal focus for many observations. Future servicing mis- companion ground station at White Sands, New Mexico. sions are tentatively planned for early 1997, mid-1999, Up to 24 hours of commands can be stored in the on- and mid-2002. board computers. Data can be broadcast from HST to Responsibility for conducting and coordinating the the ground stations immediately or stored on tape and science operations of the Hubble Space Telescope rests downlinked later. with the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), situ- The observer on the ground can examine the “raw” ated on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood images and other data within a few minutes for a quick- Campus in Baltimore, Maryland. STScI is operated for look analysis (which is what we’ll see happening, live, dur- NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in ing LHST Program 2.) Within 24 hours, GSFC formats Astronomy, Inc. (AURA). the data for delivery to the STScI. STScI is responsible for HST’s current complement of science instruments data processing (calibration, editing, distribution, and includes two cameras, two spectrographs, and fine guid- maintenance of the data for the scientific community). ance sensors (primarily used to point the telescope pre- Competition is keen for HST observing time. Only one of cisely, and for astrometric observations). [Editor’s note: every ten proposals is accepted. This unique space-based for the Live from… observations, we’ll be using both observatory is operated as an international research center camera systems: WF/PC2, the Wide Field and Planetary and as a resource for astronomers world-wide. Camera (pronounced “wiff-pik,” and built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory) for Neptune; and the FOC, Faint Object Camera (built by ESA) for Pluto.] Although HST operates around the clock, not all of its time can be spent observing. Each orbit lasts about 95 minutes, with time allocated for housekeeping functions and This HST “biography” is adapted, with thanks, from for observations. “Housekeeping” functions includes turn- the “Overview” authored by Rob Landis, to be found on ing the telescope to acquire a new target, avoiding the STScI’s main Web page

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 9 Live From… and Science Reform

How Passport to Knowledge and Live from the Hubble Space Telescope can help teachers implement the national science standards Conceptual Themes • Organization JOSEPH D. EXLINE, Ph.D., Executive Secretary, Council of • Inter-relations State Science Supervisors, former head, V-QUEST (VA) • Change etc … At the national and state levels, standards have been developed in an attempt to make science education more relevant for ALL students. Guidelines, such as the National Science Standards (National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council), Benchmarks for Scientiﬁc Literacy Content (AAAS/Project 2061) and the California Science Framework • Science have been promulgated to help direct local efforts. Central • Mathematics to these efforts is the argument that science taught as a • History kind of history course (“this is what your learned predeces- etc … sors have found out”) or lecture series (“this is what we Process Skills Habits of Mind experts already know for sure”) is not as relevant, nor as • Observing • Respect for Data • Measuring • Consideration of Premises

effective, nor as exciting for most students as other Joseph D. Exline • Collecting • Demand for Verification approaches. Instead, science presented as “these are ways etc.… etc.… © YOU can join with others to find out about the Universe we all inhabit” helps students understand the present and active learners, and serves as a model for how to make shape the personal and social future. An added benefit is science connect beyond the classroom, showing how sci- that this approach even appeals to those who won’t find ence literacy may also apply to resolving non-scientific their career in research. To make science as relevant “For issues in modern society. All Americans” (in the words of one AAAS publication) as The second important way that PTK embodies the are reading and writing, students must become more spirit of the new standards is by demonstrating the use of involved in the “finding out” aspect, i.e. turning science cutting-edge technology and demonstrating in specific into a process of “scienc-ing.” ways how increasingly “school will be just one of the To help science reform succeed, efforts like those many places where learning will occur.” Technology can undertaken by the NSF-NASA funded Passport to make the whole world a classroom. Resources for learn- Knowledge project (PTK) and its Live from the Hubble Space ing are no longer confined to one school and to an isolat- Telescope “Module” can become an integral and ongoing ed teacher working alone. The ability to interact with part of classroom learning. I believe that PTK activities real scientists at remote locations, and to collaborate with help teachers address many of the objectives outlined in the other educators and students in the doing of real science, National Science Standards and the Benchmarks. PTK certain- is well illustrated by Live from the Hubble Space Telescope. ly provides ways to make the classroom a place for active Too often modern telecommunications delivers merely student learning and suggests relevant, flexible, immediate “distance teaching”: PTK, however, illustrates true “dis- and practical ways to use new and emerging technologies. tance learning.” The use of free, broadcast tv and open access via the During the “Great Planet Debate,” for example, stu- Internet also helps support the National Science dents from around the world were interacting with scientists Foundation’s state, urban, and rural systemic initiatives, to help select which planets to study. During the remainder designed to reach otherwise under-served populations. of the project they have the opportunity to interact “live” Passport to Knowledge and Science Reform with astronomers and other working researchers as data is gathered and interpreted, and so can be part of the process PTK hopes to assist the classroom teacher in two of making new scientific discoveries. principal ways. First, PTK focuses on scientific literacy, emphasizing the “finding out” aspect of science. PTK Live from the Hubble Space Telescope: addressing the believes that science content (varying from Module to Standards Module) can be a means to that end and not just an end Classroom teachers often feel tortured on a in itself, that how you come to know something is as Procrustean bed of content, stretched every day in every important as what facts you know. way to cover the demands of the curriculum. Given the The philosophy of the National Science Standards and requirement to deliver large amounts of content, there’s Benchmarks advocates using important and relevant sci- a natural tendency to question why time should be taken ence content to develop real-world connections, prob- away from existing obligations and spent on such projects lem-solving skills and to nurture reasoning abilities. PTK as “electronic field trips.” The value of projects such as parallels these national trends by involving students as PTK becomes more obvious if educators look beyond

10 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE current demands for the mastery of content (as Dickens’ ✷ Skills of Problem-Solving are developed when the Gradgrind or Joe Friday in Dragnet would say, “Facts… learner becomes actively involved and takes more respon- facts… facts!”) to perhaps more important and relevant sibility for his/her learning. These skills are important aspects of science education. Beyond the specific content of tools for future learning and make science as relevant as each PTK field trip (Antarctic geology, penguin biology, reading and writing. PTK’s programs help develop these infrared astronomy, comparative planetology) are principles skills as illustrated by the following: which can enliven any and all content. In order for all the ▼ Experimenting with color filters, and generating rules talk about “Standards” to deliver real benefits to students, for how colors appear teachers and society, it’s essential that we address four inter- ▼ Figuring out how to measure the speed and scale of related elements which together define scientific literacy. storms on Jupiter, Uranus and Earth These four elements are: ✷ Scientific Values are attributes which predispose ▼ conceptual themes or connectors which put isolated learners to take action (curiosity) and to test the judgment information into a meaningful context (respect for data) of their decisions. PTK’s on-line and on ▼ process skills which are necessary to observe, collect camera scientists model these attributes as illustrated by and analyze valid data the following questions they’ll be seen to ask: ▼ ▼ habits of mind which encourage the validation and How do we know the atmospheres differ? testing of the reasonableness of information (Respect for Data) ▼ ▼ the specific content of the discipline What conclusions do the data support? (Demand for Verification) These four interrelated elements can be easily ▼ remembered as illustrated by the cube on p. 10. Should we devote resources to study other planets? (Consideration of Consequences) All four of these elements are essential and must be an ✷ integral part of all learning in order to develop scientific lit- Relevant and Important Content is essential in itself eracy. These elements also lead to the development of the but it is much enriched if it serves as a means to an end in attributes necessary for life-long learning in subjects other developing conceptual understandings and skills of prob- than science. Through skills in problem solving and scien- lem solving, and nurtures scientific reasoning. Passport to tific reasoning, learners can understand the content under Knowledge stresses important and relevant content as illus- study. More importantly, they can use these same abilities trated by the following: to understand new and different content they encounter ▼ Latest findings on characteristics of the planets later. The method or approach is the key to successful and being studied meaningful learning. Science education is important for the ▼ Characteristics and unique advantages of using the learner to the extent that it enables him or her to under- Hubble Space Telescope stand, in an active way, how the natural world is organized ✷ Conclusion and interrelates changes and interacts with the human- PTK sees itself as a member of a larger learning com- designed world. PTK is modeling this integration of process, munity. The project evolves as the development team learns content and active learning by having scientists, teachers, new things along with you. You’ll see some changes from and students do scientific investigations in ways that have the design and format of our earlier Modules and this will both personal and societal applications. continue. However, to keep our project of high quality both The following examples show how these four elements from a scientific and an educa- are an integral part of the design of Passport to Knowledge and tional perspective, we sub- the development of scientific literacy. scribe to certain Guiding ✷ Conceptual Themes or Understandings are broad Principles for design and and interdisciplinary in nature in order to have cross-con- implementation. (See side- tent application. They can be subdivided into more sci- bar on p. 6) We hope ence-related themes such as evolution and energy. Themes you’ll agree that Passport are used to put the smaller details of information into a to Knowledge can help more meaningful context, such as learning how the natural you and your students and social worlds are organized, interrelated, and changed. do science. PTK uses themes to organize information as follows: ▼ The interrelationship of the planets’ essential characteristics, atmospheres and weather systems. ▼ How conditions on the outer planets relate to conditions we experience here on Earth ✵

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 11 Opening Activities

This section of the Guide summarizes what the Passport (2) what positive attitudes they develop towards what they to Knowledge development team considers the most signifi- now know; and (3) what research and technical skills they cant Content or Curriculum objectives for Live from the gain and practice (see also pp. 10–11 for thoughts on PTK Hubble Space Telescope. For convenience and clarity, they are and science reform, and, of course, the Teacher and Student grouped by Opening and Closing Activities, and by Video Evaluation pages.) Each individual Activity also states a spe- program. However achieving these objectives will likely cific Instructional Objective in clear-cut performance or involve on-line as well as video and hands-on work. behavioral terms. While LHST is not intended as a plug-in replacement We hope these project objectives and program for sections of your existing course of instruction, we do overviews also provide you with tools to create an “anticipa- believe this 3-5 week project can be justified in terms of at tory set” for your students, so that they approach each least three criteria: (1) what content your students know Activity or viewing experience as active learners rather than after participating which they might not have known before; passive consumers.

Project Objectives

After Program 1 and Activities 1A-1C, students will be able to: ▼ describe the scale and structure of the solar system in terms of distances Program 1: between the planets, compare/contrast their relative sizes and distinctive characteristics, and differentiate between “terrestrial” and gaseous bodies. ▼ develop collaborative learning and research skills to create multimedia The Great Planet reports illustrating the complexity and diversity of our solar system. After Program 2 and Activities 2A-2E, students will be able to: Debate ▼ describe the Hubble Space Telescope as both a spacecraft AND a tele- Aired November 9, 1995, and scope, and compare and contrast the importance of each role. available on tape from NASA CORE, ▼ describe the extensive network of people, places and processes needed to (see inside front cover). The full script design, deploy and operate the HST. of this program may be found on-line. ▼ summarize current knowledge about Neptune, Pluto and Jupiter, and This 30 minute program explain what might be learned about these planets through the use of introduced the entire project, and HST during the Passport to Knowledge observations. announced the on-line discussion ▼ identify the main parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and compare and which led to a December 1995 contrast the use of various wavelengths to study the planets. consensus decision about which ▼ compare/contrast HST with other telescopes, and describe how its unique planets to observe. The four advantages are being used during the Passport to Knowledge observations. astronomers who served as ▼ describe how HST observes the “moving targets” of the planets of our “Planet Advocates” for the on-line solar system, and how the data is routed down to Earth for analysis. debate (Reta Beebe for Jupiter, After Program 3 and Activities 3A-3D, students will be able to: Marc Buie for Pluto, Heidi Hammel for Neptune and ▼ understand how images are constructed from digital data, and the process Carolyn Porco for Uranus) each by which black and white images become color pictures. presented reasons for using three ▼ understand how the use of different color filters, time exposures and HST orbits for “their” planet, and image processing techniques reveal different aspects of the same image. summarized key scientific goals ▼ compare/contrast weather patterns on the HST target planets to storms on which could be achieved. Earth, in terms of scale, speed of motion, vertical structure and duration. Presenter Bill Gutsch reviewed ▼ describe how scientists gather data, interpret it, test hypotheses, come to the history of Space Telescope preliminary conclusions and publish results for review by peers. (launch, servicing mission, most After Closing Activities 4A-4C, students will be able to: revealing and amazing images, ▼ synthesize and articulate, in media of their own choice, the individual current capabilities). Gutsch pro- learning they have experienced during Live from the Hubble Space Telescope. vided a project timeline, Internet ▼ discuss/debate the value to society of such “Big Science” projects as HST. addresses for on-line updates and encouraged participation in an ▼ describe and evaluate the effects of advanced technology on the process of unprecedented experiment in sci- contemporary scientific research. ence education and outreach. ▼ demonstrate a greater interest in the study of astronomy, and a more positive attitude towards scientific research and/or high-tech employment as a possible career.

12 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Activity 1A: Planet Tours, Inc.

Objective To collaborate in teams and demonstrate the ability to use appropriate A note from Jan Wee, research, writing and presentation skills to create a fact-based travel Education Outreach brochure or poster for an exotic location elsewhere in our solar system. Coordinator, Passport to Knowledge Ask students to describe their favorite summer vacation. Take out a map of your state, America or another country, and have students place pins to Dear Educators, show where they’ve traveled. Ask them what made their adventure special, Welcome to Passport to Knowledge! and what features of the location they most remember. Ask them where One of my top priorities is to provide they’d like to go if they could go anywhere in the world. Ask them where support to all educators as you inte- they’d like to go if they could go anywhere in the solar system! grate our projects into your learning environment. My background of 18 / years as science teacher, computer Explain to students that for this Activity, they are going to imagine that support services (especially in the area it’s not 1996 but rather far in the future. Tourist travel to the planets is just of Internet-based resources), library becoming possible and they are working for the first interplanetary travel media director, and Passport to agency, “Planet Tours, Inc.” Their task is to research the wonders of the solar Knowledge team member gives me a system (especially those of the LHST target planets) and create a series of broad perspective. brochures or travel posters designed to attract the first space tourists. Please feel free to call, no matter Materials: your question (608-786-2767), or ▼ Advertisements from Sunday newspapers or travel magazines, and/or fax (608-786-1819), or e-mail brochures and posters collected from area travel agencies ([email protected]), or write ▼ appropriate art supplies, texts, back issues of astronomy and science maga- (Jan Wee, 431 North Youlon Street, zines with space imagery, or computers with scanners and graphics software West Salem, WI 54669). Looking forward to assisting your Procedure: Divide the class into conveniently-sized teams, who will each efforts to make this experience an work on a different solar system destination. Have students collect brochures, exceptional and successful one! travel posters and other material advertising exotic destinations. Challenge them to create similar brochures and travel posters for the most exotic ports of call in the solar system. What wonders of Mercury or Mars do they feel would be most appealing? What adventures for the well-equipped adventur- er—ballooning on Jupiter? Sulfur-surfing on Io? What creature comforts required to tame the chill of Mars, the heat of Venus? What incredible sights on Neptune or Pluto, Triton or Charon? Lead a class discussion about what Have student teams discuss what factors make some posters and might some day be feasible, and what brochures more compelling than others. How is the writing they find in a are likely to remain fantasies. (Be travel brochure different from what they find in a book, the front page of a somewhat cautious about skepticism: newspaper, or a magazine? Have students develop a list of “rules” for a suc- in the late 19th century, eminent sci- cessful travel poster or brochure entists were still saying heavier-than- Turn students’ attention skyward. Help students research the necessary air flight was utterly impossible.) factual information about our neighboring worlds and obtain the pictures Give students an overall advertis- they need from books, magazines, CD-ROMs or the Internet. (Check our ing budget for “Planet Tours, Inc.” Web page for links to some great on-line resources. See Activity 4B for tips for a one month advertising campaign, on how to make slides from books or computer screen.) Challenge them to and challenge students to develop a find the most exciting sites and sights offered by their chosen planet or its marketing plan. If a student has a rela- moons—from Valles Marineris, a Grand Canyon on Mars that would stretch tive who’s a travel or advertising pro- across the entire United States, to sheer cliffs of ice on Uranus’ satellite, fessional, they might be invited to give Miranda, 8 miles high. What resort attractions might 21st century technology a talk before the class. bring? A golf course on the moon? Snow machines creating a long downhill Have them make their presenta- ski run from a mighty Martian volcano? tions to another class (perhaps a lower Have students make rough sketches of their posters or brochures. Through grade, who can then also ask ques- team discussion, encourage them to edit and refine. Have them compose the tions, turning your students into finished product before making an oral presentation to the entire class—and teachers) who will vote on their come prepared to respond to charges of false advertising or bad science! favorite planetary vacation destination. LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 13 Activity 1B: Painting Planets

Objective

Students will research and construct accurately-scaled models of the planets, reﬂecting each planet’s currently-known physical characteristics and appearance.

Ask your students to close their eyes. Have several students describe the planets of our solar system. Challenge them to recall as much detail as possible. Ask other students to describe the sizes of the various planets relative to each other. / Explain that you are going to explore our solar system by creating visually- accurate scale models of all the planets, depicting currently known features. Materials ▼ appropriately-sized spheres or balls, obtained from craft stores, art supply hous- es or other sources (hint: with the Coach’s permission, search the gym for punc- DR.MARC BUIE on Pluto tured sports equipment of the right relative dimensions: see chart) Lowell Observatory, ▼ paints (and brushes) or other coloring tools (one teacher suggests covering the Flagstaff, AZ, balls with masking tape, then using colored markers rather than paint) ▼ sheets of clear plastic, paper plates or sheets of stiff cardboard (to serve as In 1988, Pluto passed perihelion, planetary rings for the 4 planets that have rings) which is the point at which it’s closest to the Sun, and it’s going to begin its ▼ ruler or measuring tape, paper, marking pens 125 year voyage to its most distant Procedure Divide the class into teams of 2-3 students, and have each team choose a place in its orbit. And over this time planet to create. Copy and distribute Table 1B-1 as a reference for the actual sizes of Pluto is going to receive less and less the planets and to corresponding sizes (in inches or cm). Help students determine the sunlight, and cool off, so we now relative size of their planet so that everyone is working on the same scale. If they are have an opportunity to study Pluto going to show the ring systems, supply Table 1B-2. Once students agree on the plan- when it is at its warmest. If we don’t ets’ sizes, assign each team the task of acquiring an object of the right dimension. take the opportunity now to make Have students research the appearance of each of the planets using books, these observations we’ll have to wait magazines, CD-ROMs, Internet pages or other sources (see Resources for sugges- another 240 years to repeat the tions.) Challenge students to identify the most important surface or atmospheric experiment. characteristics of each planet, and to think about ways in which these features can Pluto is sort of the last be represented on their models. “astronomers’ planet.” We haven’t As they research their planet, have them list its special characteristics, as an Artist’s yet had a close-up view with a Think Pad, recording its color or colors, surface or atmospheric features, whether it spacecraft. We have an opportunity has rings and, if so, whether they are light or dark? Have students use this as a guide to here to see the development of a decide what coloring or painting techniques they’ll need to use to create their model. science and a knowledge-base How will they construct and assemble the giant planets’ ring systems? (Remember about Pluto in our lifetimes. And cer- Neptune’s strange ring arcs: for more, see LHST Program 1.) If you’re not sure about tainly the past ten years have been colors and textures, consult with an art teacher or art supply store. Consider whether exciting, watching what we learned larger planets need more student artists and let the painting begin. about Pluto. I am certain we are going to learn a great deal more, When all the models have been painted, discuss where they can be displayed: the but this is sort of the special epoch ceiling of the classroom, a school hallway or the auditorium. A special assembly, with in human history where we are students reporting on the completed Live from the Hubble Space Telescope project could learning for the ﬁrst time what this be scheduled. Have students make a sign for each planet listing its name, size and planet is all about. other key data (see Activity 1C). If you want to add the Sun to your solar system model, how big a ball would you use? (The Sun is 865,000 miles [1,392,000 kilometers] in diameter, about 109 times the diameter of Earth.) Have students research whether there’s a ball or sphere around your school that’s large enough. Could they paint a picture of the Sun this large to go with their planets? How big would it be? Where would you place it?

14 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE As a math activity, using ratios and proportions, have older students calculate the planets’ relative sizes, defining Jupiter (instead of Earth, as in the table below) as 1 inch, and all other planets scaled accordingly. If resources permit, (and the drama department or tech crew has some stage lighting to loan!) students may wish to light their planet models dramat- ically in a darkened room and video tape “close encounters” with their planet, as if their video camera were a spacecraft like the twin Voyagers, or Galileo, slowly flying past. (See LHST Program 1, “The Great Planet Debate” for JPL’s great computer graphics representations of the Voyagers’ encounters with Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus. Remember Galileo will be orbiting Jupiter and its moons for the next 2 years.) Students may later wish to edit these sequences into a multimedia presentation as described in Activity 4B, p. 39. As another math expansion, challenge students to calculate how far apart the planets would have to be from each other given the size scale of the planets that they adopted. Use the table of distances provided in Activity 1C, p. 16 Whether you use that Activity or not, they’ll soon see that our solar system is a very large and empty place! PROF HEIDI HAMMEL, At the conclusion of Live from the Hubble Space Telescope, have students on Neptune revisit their models of the planets we’ll be studying (Neptune, Pluto and Massachusetts Institute Jupiter) and see what “new” information they now have. As a writing activity, of Technology how would they update the textbooks or other sources they consulted? Perhaps you might even submit their reports to your text publisher as input What I like best about the planet for their next revision! (see also Activites 4B and 4C pp. 39–40) Neptune is that every time you look at it, Have students keep a journal as they create their model. What did they do, it’s different. So Neptune can be your and discover, each day? What were the easiest, most fun parts of the project? planet…No one else will have seen the What parts were more difficult or challenging? If another class were going to do clouds that you see and they’ll probably this same project next year, what pointers would they give them? Consider keep- never be seen again. And so that means ing a photo-journal or video diary of their progress. Taking a picture of their that the pictures of Neptune your stu- model each day would provide a timelapse record of how it gradually changed dents take will be absolutely unique… into a planet. Paste such pictures into their journal entries for each day: think how One of the biggest surprises when the in years to come, you’ll also be able to paste video into your students’ Web pages! Voyager spacecraft flew by Neptune was a huge dark spot on the planet. We called it the “Great Dark Spot.” We TABLE 1B-1 SIZE OF PLANETS weren’t able to see it from Earth because Neptune is the most distant Planet Diameter Diameter If Earth was 1 inch (cm) planet from us right now. When we in Miles in Kilometers looked with the Hubble Space Mercury 3,032 4,878 0.38 (a little more than 1/3) Telescope last year that Great Dark Venus 7,523 12,104 0.95 (about like Earth) Spot was gone! It had simply disap- Earth 7,928 12,756 1.00 peared, it wasn’t there anymore, which Mars 4,218 6,787 0.53 (about 1/2 Earth) was a big surprise but when we looked Jupiter 88,863 142,980 11.2 very, very carefully, we saw a different Saturn 74,916 120,540 9.5 Uranus 31,771 51,120 4.0 big, dark spot on the planet, in the Neptune 30,783 49,530 3.9 (about like Uranus) northern part of the planet— the other Pluto 1,430 2,300 0.18 (about 1/2 Mercury) one was in the South—so that means Neptune’s atmosphere just turned TABLE 1B-2 SIZE OF RINGS upside down! Planet Diameter of Rings if Earth is 1 inch (cm) When we look at Neptune this time Inner Edge Outer Edge we don’t know what we are going to Jupiter 9.6 10.1 see. There might be a whole, new dark Saturn 11.6 21.4 spot and that dark spot would belong to Uranus 6.6 8.1 this (PTK) group. They would have dis- Neptune 8.9 11.0 covered it!

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 15 Activity 1C: The Great Student Solar System Model

Objective

Students will demonstrate the ability to convert distance data into a large-scale model of the solar system (using the “Astronomical Unit” as a yardstick) with students representing the planets.

Ask students to describe how the previous activity helped them understand the relative sizes of the planets. Tell them they haven’t seen anything yet. Now they are going to calculate and show just how far apart they are. Materials ▼ 10 white poster boards (Approximately 2 x 3 feet in size) ▼ thick black marking pen ▼ piece of brightly colored yarn, rope (corresponding to the length of your “A.U.” (see below). / Tell students that they are going to measure distances to the various planets, and that some of them will “become” the planets, in an accurately- scaled representation of their correct distance from the Sun. Pass out copies of Table 1C, but cover the numbers in the last column before making copies. Point out the distances in miles or kilometers: ask them if they have their The Gallery of walking shoes ready! the Sky Procedure Explain that to build this model, the class will have to scale down the distances involved, to numbers that can be dealt with easily. Look at Table What is this gallery of the sky? 1C with them. Point out that if we try to deal with distances to planets in either miles and kilometers, we have to work with huge numbers. (Ask them if we Images placed there by the gods, could talk about distances to major cities around the world in inches? Ask them like a pattern, why we don’t.) With this in mind, introduce them to a useful new unit of dis- A pattern of diamonds spread tance, the Astronomical Unit, which is the distance of the Earth from the Sun, on a table, just under 93 million miles or 150 million kilometers. This will become our new A pattern of pins stuck in black cloth, “yardstick.” As a math exercise, have them calculate the distances from the Sun to all the planets in A.U.s, and then confirm their answers with the right-hand Memories, column of numbers in the table. Next, have them calculate the distance in A.U.s Memories of forgotten heroes, of each planet from its neighbor. Point out that now, when representing the Memories of forgotten times, solar system, instead of dealing with numbers in the hundreds of millions, we An art book of love, only have to worry about numbers up to about 40, at most. that soothes the soul, Brainstorm where the class will create its Great Student Solar System. (Hint: Pick a space long enough to be impressive, and fun like a playground An art book of hope, or athletic field.) Next, choose a reasonable length for the A.U. in your to help us through it all. model. (Hint: Pre-measure the total length of the area likely to be selected for A gallery, the model and divide this length by 40. This will mean that if the Sun is at A gallery of everything and one end of the space, Pluto will just neatly fit at the other, with all the other nothing at all planets spaced out [sic] in between.) Let students choose to be the different planets and the Sun. If you are preparing this Activity one day and making the model the next, suggest that EMILY BERNSTEIN, Summit they wear clothing appropriately-colored for their celestial object. (Mars is a Middle School nice, fashionable, rust-color, but Jupiter might require something tie-dyed.) Discuss having more than one student be each planet, with the number of students indicating the relative size of the planet (see Activity 1B) Have students make posters with the names of their celestial object in large letters, with a picture, created by them, or found in a magazine (being sure only to use ones that are ok to cannibalize!)

16 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE To construct your model, go to the designated place with students, posters, and the piece of brightly-colored yarn cut to the length of A.U. chosen for your model. Start at the Sun and place that student in position. Select two or three students as Official Solar System Measurers (OSSMs). With “Moving Targets” A.U. yarn in hand, have them measure off the correct distance to each planet, The position of any object on Earth using the numbers they have calculated. As the OSSMs reach the right posi- can be plotted on a map using that tion for each planet, have the student who will represent that planet take their object’s unique longitude and latitude. place until the whole solar system is complete. Then, take a few pictures of In the same way, celestial objects can your Great Human Solar System Model and return to class for discussion. be plotted on maps of the sky using a (Live from the Stratosphere, Program 5, contains a similar Activity, presented similar set of coordinates. Declination by HST Guide author Bill Gutsch, done live on-camera at NASA Ames in an (Dec.) takes the place of latitude and aircraft hangar: it might help to review that tape if you have it.) is measured in degrees and minutes See also Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot for a discussion of how when Voyager of arc north (+) or south (-) of a line left our solar system, beyond the orbit of Neptune, it turned to take a farewell in the sky called the “celestial equa- snapshot which emphasized just how small our Earth was against the huge tor,” which lies directly above the dimensions of our solar system: think about doing something rather similar, equator on Earth. Astronomers use looking out from the Sun to distant Pluto, and vice versa. Right Ascension (R.A.) in place of lon- When the students reassemble, discuss what they discovered about how gitude. Just as longitude is measured the planets were spaced. Most will probably be surprised to see how relatively from a line on Earth called the prime close together the first four planets are, crowded around the Sun. Beyond meridian, so Right Ascension is mea- Mars, however, the planets are vastly spread out. sured from a line that passes through a point in the sky called the “vernal equinox.” Right Ascension keeps Ask the students who represented each planet to work with a small team of track of how the sky overhead rotates other students to figure out how large each of their planets would be, if the over time during the day and night, actual solar system were really as small as the model you just created. Use Table and so Right Ascension is measured in 1B-1, and help them make scale cross-references as necessary. As follow-up to units of time (hours and minutes). Activity 1B, ask them to figure out the distance their planet would be from the The Right Ascension and Declination Sun if you used planets of that size in your model. of stars don’t change significantly on the time scales we need to worry As a math and social studies activity, using local maps, have them figure about for contemporary astronomy. out where in your community their models would need to be, if they used this But the planets are all moving around larger scale, and the planets were properly distanced from your school, which the Sun at different speeds in different would represent the Sun. See if, as a “Science Expo,” project wrap-up, or orbits so their Right Ascensions and year-end activity, you could distribute planet models made by the students Declinations are always changing around your town, at the right distances in public buildings for everyone to along with that of the Sun (since the see. Invite the press, district administration, and parents to see math, astrono- Earth, too, is moving). my, science and art in cooperative action! It’s important for HST mission planners to keep track of the ever-chang- Table 1C ing positions of the Sun and planets in Planet Miles Kilometers A.U. planning observing times for astronomers because for safety rea- Mercury 35,985,000 57,900,000 0.39 sons, the HST is usually not pointed Venus 67,247,000 108,200,000 0.72 within about 45 degrees of the Sun (although sometimes with the Earth Earth 92,977,000 149,600,000 1.00 acting as a kind of shield, it can—with Mars 141,641,000 227,900,000 1.52 great care—be pointed closer). In Jupiter 483,717,000 778,300,000 5.20 Activity 2C, students will act as Saturn 885,954,000 1,425,500,000 9.53 Mission Planners for the HST. They’ll be asked to plot the position of the Uranus 1,788,129,000 2,877,100,000 19.23 planets and the Sun, for a series of Neptune 2,801,802,000 4,508,100,000 30.14 dates, and to determine which planets Pluto 3,701,057,000 5,955,000,000 39.81 are safe to view on those dates, and which will appear too close to the Sun to observe safely.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 17 Program 2: Making YOUR Observations

First airs live, March 14, 1996, 13:00-14:00 Eastern “Making YOUR Observations” will climax with a live “First Look” at the original astronomical data acquired as a result of the Passport to Knowledge observations. Planet Advocates Heidi Hammel, Marc Buie and participating K-12 students will see, at exactly the same moment, what we’ve collectively discovered about Neptune and Pluto, during a live uplink from the Space Telescope Science Institute, in Baltimore, Maryland (STScI). (“First Look” is what astronomers call their initial glimpse of new data: during the comet Shoemaker- Tony Roman, Program Levy 9 collision with Jupiter, “First Look” was welcomed with whoops of delight and celebratory toasts, as we’ll see during this program.) Coordinator, STScI There’ll be another, equally unique “First Look” as—for the first time My job is to help astronomers speci- ever—live cameras are welcomed into the Space Telescope Operations Control fy all the technical details necessary to Center at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Though there’s no live camera conduct observations with the Hubble currently up in orbit to show us HST from outside, we’ll see exactly where HST Space Telescope… then to take that is at that precise moment, and exactly what HST is seeing. Via our live cameras, and process it so that the observation students will come as close, virtually, to HST as any human on Earth can ever be. eventually becomes something that the Students will look over controllers’ shoulders and see what happens as the tele- computers on board the telescope can scope slews to acquire new guide stars, or “dumps” its data from the on-board understand and perform. Sometimes tape recorder. If there is a spacecraft “Health and Safety” emergency, however, when you work with these difficult we will be unceremoniously booted out of the Mission Operations Room! observations it can be a significant chal- Videotaped sequences will show the wide variety of people it takes to oper- lenge to get them to work, and some- ate HST, from astronomers and astronauts, to engineers, computer program- times when you are caught up in all mers, communications specialists, mathematicians, graphic artists, technical writ- these details, you kind of forget that ers… secretaries. Footage from across America and around the world will show what you’re really doing is working on the diverse places, far from STScI and GSFC, where HST work is performed, putting together observations for one of and the processes which are involved. Students will see what HST has con- the most powerful observatories the tributed to our understanding of the solar system, and will appreciate that while human race has ever built…when the spacecraft missions have returned stunning, high resolution images of nearly all data comes back at last I feel pretty our local planets (except Pluto), HST provides ongoing coverage, functioning as excited and pretty proud to have been a kind of “interplanetary weather satellite” for our cosmic neighborhood. a part of that. Heidi Hammel and Marc Buie will review what we know about Neptune and I was interested in astronomy since I Pluto, what they hope the new images might reveal, and describe the hard work was a small child, I guess, and I studied they’ll be facing in the coming five weeks, to prepare the brand-new data for the physics in college, and mathematics. April 23rd telecast. Students will find out how they also can work on the data, Those are very important backgrounds using custom software and lessons plans provided over the Internet by Passport to for astronomy… I became interested in Knowledge and others. “Mrs. Jupiter,” Planet Advocate Reta Beebe, shares images astronomy through my father, an engi- from the “bonus” orbit observing Jupiter which she’s contributing to the project, neer who worked on the Pioneer and and we see how researchers use the huge STScI data archive to compare and con- Viking missions. Even though he wasn’t trast past pictures to help make sense of new information. an astronomer, he was working on those The program will also provide an e-mail address where questions can be missions. And even though, at the time, I sent during the live broadcast, providing information about how to participate didn’t really understand what he did, just using e-mail or the World Wide Web. Students will meet some of the men and the fact that that’s what he was doing women on the Hubble team who’ve volunteered to write Field Journals and got me interested. Also, a more specific who’ll be responding to student questions on-line as part of Researcher Q&A. example, was that Carl Sagan had a television show on PBS called Cosmos In addition to live uplinks from STScI and GSFC, students from that I found very inspirational. Washington state will participate via satellite and interactive video: some of them played a role in the “Great Planet Debate” and will now witness results of the decision they helped make. In another first for Passport to Knowledge, students at the European Space Agency’s ECF (European Coordinating Facility) in Garching, near Munich, Germany, will interact via videoconferencing. (ESA built the FOC, or Faint Object Camera, which will be used to image Pluto.) We expect e-mail input directly from schools in Brazil, some in Manaus in the Amazon rainforest, who will be watching the programs live via USIA’s Worldnet. 18 LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE Activity 2A: Using a Concave Mirror to focus Radiation

Objective

Students will demonstrate the ability to explain how different forms of electromagnetic radiation can be focused using a concave mirror, and how HST’s mirror functions.

Ask students why we use telescopes to study the universe. Answers may center on the power of various telescopes and their ability to show distant objects close up. Tell students that while telescopes do give us visually magniﬁed images of distant objects, this isn’t really their main function. (General background on the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as several hands-on activities, may be found in the Live from the Stratosphere Teacher’s Guide, or in NASA’s Space Based Astronomy, co-packaged with this LHST Guide.) / Explain that astronomers learn about objects in space by studying and analyzing the radiation that comes to us from these objects. The more radiation an astronomer can collect from an object, the more he or she can learn about that object because radiation is the carrier of information. So, really, astronomers are not as interested in the power of a telescope as in how much visible light and other radiation the telescope can collect and concentrate for study. This amount is usually far greater than can be achieved with the human eye alone. In this Activity, students will be able to calculate how much more radiation the HST can concentrate for study than can their own unaided eyes. They will see how a concave mirror, like that in the HST, focuses or concentrates radiation.

Materials For use in demonstrations by the teacher: ▼ concave mirror (such as is used for shaving or apply- ▼ piece of tracing paper or wax paper ing make-up, or as can be purchased from a supply ▼ electric space heater company e.g., Edmund Scientific Catalog #S52,016 ▼ small jar of fluorescent luminous paint (such as [$26.00] or #S42,427 [$9.95]). Edmund Scientific Catalog #S31,806 [$10.95] or as is ▼ candle or other small, bright light source available in some art supply stores.) or the UV-sensi- ▼ thermometer and/or the heat-sensitive paper co- tive beads co-packaged with this Guide packaged with this Guide ▼ source of UltraViolet radiation (a UV lamp such as For each team of students Edmund Scientific Catalog # S35,485 [$36.95] or ▼ cup of paper circles (the stuff you usually throw away #S34,501 [$32.95]) (Middle and elementary schools after making holes with a 3 ring binder punch) may find they can borrow this from their high school.) ▼ a circle of dark construction paper, 6 inches in diameter

Procedure Sketch on the chalkboard how a concave mirror focuses radiation using a simple ray tracing diagram, as shown above. Explain that the HST’s primary mirror is curved like the drawing on the board (see cutaway HST diagram to left), and like the demonstration mirror you have acquired for this activity. Proceed with one or more of the demonstrations on the following page.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 19 Activities 2A and 2B

1 Focusing Visible Light Darken the classroom as much as possible. Light the candle or other small, bright source of light and place it several feet away from the mirror. Hold the mirror in one hand and the piece of tracing or wax paper in the other. Adjust the position of the mirror and paper until the candle flame or other light source is focused on the paper for the class to see. 2 Focusing Infrared Radiation For this demonstration, the classroom can be fully lit. Explain that concave mirrors such as this one, and that on the HST, are also capable of focusing infrared (IR or heat) radiation from objects on Earth and in space, just as they do visible light. At this point produce a safe and handy source of Activity 2B; Hubble: A Very infrared radiation such as an electric heater. Since infrared radiation is invisible to the unaided eye, challenge the students to suggest ways that you can know whether or not the Big Eye in the Sky mirror is indeed focusing this radiation from the heater. If a Objective student suggests using the thermometer or heat-sensitive paper, let them go ahead and do the demo for you! If not, Students will first estimate and then calculate produce an answer by holding up the thermometer. Note the the amount of light which can be gathered by general temperature in the room. Then place the heater sev- HST’s main mirror, and then compare and eral feet away from the mirror at the same spot where you contrast this with the light-gathering power had placed the candle in the last demonstration and turn the of the human eye. heater on. After a few minutes, hold the mirror in one hand Procedure Divide the students into teams. Give and the thermometer in the other. Place the thermometer at each team the disk of dark paper 6 inches in diam- the same point where you placed the paper in the last demon- eter and a cup with the white paper circles made stration. (Hint: as preparation you may want to have a C- by a 3 ring hole punch. Explain that the white cir- clamp or other stand so that you can precisely mark the place cles are about the size of the pupil of the eye. Ask to hold your detector in this and the following demonstration.) the students to spread the white circles out onto Have one or two students read off the temperature. It will rise the dark circle and estimate how many white cir- as the mirror focuses the heater’s otherwise invisible infrared cles cover the dark circle, with no overlap of white radiation at this point in space. To parallel the first demonstra- circles but as little dark material as possible show- tion more precisely, use the heat-sensitive paper: it will turn ing through. Tell them to make their best esti- white where the mirror focuses the IR radiation, and then turn mate. When the team are through, write down colored once more when removed. their answers and ask the class to compute the 3. Focusing Ultraviolet Radiation average. Explain that the HST’s main mirror has Explain that concave mirrors such as the one on the HST about 248 times more area than do their 6 inch are also capable of focusing ultraviolet radiation from objects paper disks. Have them multiply the average they on Earth and in space. Hold up the ultraviolet lamp for the calculated by 248 for their answer. class to see, plus the UV-sensitive beads or the jar of fluores- Finally have them calculate the answer directly cent luminescent paint and a small piece of plain paper. by using the formula for the area of a circle: Explain that the paint and/or beads contain special chemicals A = ␲r2, where ␲ = 3.1416 and r = the that glow or change color when exposed to ultraviolet radia- radius of the circle. (The relevant HST dimen- tion. Apply the paint to the paper. sions appear on the student worksheet.) This time, darken the classroom as much as possible, if you use the paint rather than the beads. Turn on the UV lamp and place it in the same position as the candle and Discuss the reason for different answers to heater in the previous demonstrations. Hold the mirror in the above question using the two techniques. one hand and place the beads or painted piece of paper at the Which is more accurate? Also have students same place where you placed the tracing or wax paper. research and discuss what types of information Students will begin to observe the beads change color or the might be learned about the planets by studying paint glow from the concentrated UV radiation. Removing them in the infrared and the ultraviolet as well as the beads or paper from the focus of the mirror will cause the in visible light. glow to become reduced or to cease.

20 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Activity 2B: Hubble: A Very Big Eye in the Sky

With our eyes alone, we can only see things down to a certain level of faint- ness at night or in a darkened room. We are limited by the amount of light that can pass through the pupils of our eyes which rarely widen to more than 0.25 inches across. Cutaway diagram of the Hubble Space Telescopes allow us to see fainter objects because a telescope takes all Telescope the light that falls on its main lens or mirror and focuses, or concentrates, it down into a narrow beam that can usually pass High gain antenna Secondary through the pupil of the eye. Thus if an astronomer mirror looks out at night with a telescope like the HST Equipment section Aperture door Primary which has a mirror some 94.5 inches across, he or Fine guidance mirror Light shield sensor (3) she is looking out on the universe with the equiv- alent of eyes that are 94.5 inches across! No Aft shroud wonder we can see more with telescopes. How much bigger is the HST’s main mirror than the human eye? Well, it’s 94.5 inches divided by 0.25 inches, or 378 times the diameter of your pupil! But the true ability of the eye Axial scientific or a telescope to gather light depends on the area intrument (4) of its lens or mirror, not its diameter. Radial scientific Double roll out instrument with Fixed head solar array (2) So how much more light does the HST focus than radiator (1) star tracker (3) your eye? Let’s use two methods to ﬁnd out.

Method #1: Estimation Using a Physical Method #2: Direct Calculation Model The amount of light a mirror or lens focus- Your teacher will distribute dark circles and es depends upon its area. The area of a circle is cups with small white circles, which are about the given by the formula: A = ␲r2, where ␲ = size of the pupil of your eye. Carefully spread out 3.1416 and r is the radius of the lens or mirror, the small white circles on the dark circle. How that is its diameter divided by 2. many does it take to completely cover the dark How much more light does the HST focus circle? Try to have as little overlap and as little than the lens in your eye? That’s the same as ask- dark material showing through as possible. ing how much greater is the area of the HST’s Write your estimate here. main mirror than the area of the pupil of your Write the average estimate of all the teams eye. First, calculate the area of the HST’s main in your class here. mirror (All the information you need is contained in the Introduction to this Activity, at the top of The HST’s main mirror has an area about the page.) Write your answer here 248 times greater than your dark circle. So how many little white circles would it take to cover Next, calculate the area of the pupil of your the entire main mirror of the HST? eye. Write your answer here. Finally, calculate how many times bigger the ﬁrst area This is an estimate of how much more light is than the second. Write your answer here falls on the HST than on your pupil, and so approximately how much more light the HST Compare your answers using method #1 can focus. and #2. Which do you think is more accurate? Why?

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 21 Activity 2C: Observing “Moving Targets” with the HST

Objective

Students will demonstrate the ability to plan Hubble observations by plot- ting planetary positions at 3 speciﬁc dates on a sky-chart, determining a safety zone for HST, and verifying the accuracy of their results.

Point out to the students that most of the objects that would blind and ruin the instruments. (The obvious answer astronomers look at in the sky are very faint and that, is the Sun—but in fact the moon is also too bright). Tell accordingly, most of the HST’s instruments are very, very them that for safety reasons the HST is usually not pointed sensitive to light. Ask them to think about objects which within about 45 degrees of the Sun. (Note: A fist held at HST cannot look at because they are so bright that they arm’s length is about 10 degrees across.) / Tell the students that in this activity they are going to serve in the important role of Mission Planners for the HST (STScI calls such specialists “Program Coordinators,” one of whom is Tony Roman, who’ll appear on camera in Program 2, and whose comments may be found on p. 18 in this Guide.) For three different dates, students will determine which planets are safe for the HST to observe and which are not. As noted in the sidebar (p. 17), explain to the stu- TABLE 1 March 14, 1996 dents that the planets and the Sun appear to move continuously relative to the OBJECT R.A. Dec. “fixed” stars and so their changing positions need to be constantly tracked. Even Sun 23.6 hrs. 2.5 deg. though the planets of our solar system are close by, and relatively bright, they’re Mercury 22.9 hrs –9.5 deg literally “moving targets” and sometimes quite difficult to observe. Venus 2.4 hrs. 16.2 deg Mars 23.5 hrs –4.2 deg Materials (for each Mission Planning Team) Jupiter 19.0 hrs –22.6 deg ▼ copy of the HST “Zone of Solar ▼ 9 different colored marking pens Saturn 23.9 hrs –3.0 deg Uranus 20.4 hrs –19.9 deg Avoidance” disk (p. 23) ▼ scissors, pins or pushpins ▼ Neptune 20.0 hrs –20.3 deg Coordinate Tables for the Sun and ▼ 3 copies of the Star Chart (p. 23) Pluto 16.3 hrs –7.8 deg planets for 3 dates (to right)

Procedure Divide the students into Mission Planner Teams. Distribute mate- TABLE 2 January 15, 1997 rials to each Team. Ask them to make a color key for their own reference, and OBJECT R.A. Dec. assign a different colored making pen to the Sun and each of the eight planets Sun 19.9 hrs –21.0 deg other than Earth. Point out the dates on the three separate Coordinate Tables Mercury 18.3 hrs –20.9 deg and have them mark each of their three Sky Charts with one of the dates. Venus 18.5 hrs –23.1 deg Illustrate how to plot a position on the ﬁrst Sky Chart (March 14, 1996) using Mars 12.3 hrs 1.3 deg the Sun as an example. Have them mark their March 14 , 1996 chart making a Jupiter 20.1 hrs –20.8 deg small dot with the appropriate colored marking pen for the Sun. Then have them Saturn 00.2 hrs –1.3 deg continue to plot and mark the positions of the planets on the same Chart. Have Uranus 20.4 hrs –19.8 deg them proceed to the other two Charts and sets of coordinate data. Discuss how the Neptune 20.0 hrs –20.3 deg position of the Sun and various planets has changed from one chart to the next. Pluto 16.3 hrs –8.7 deg Next, ask them to cut out their HST “Zone of Solar Avoidance” disk. Explain that this disk is designed to help them determine which planets are too close to the TABLE 3 March 14, 1997 Sun to be safely observed with the HST. Make as many copies (or transparencies) OBJECT R.A. Dec. as needed and give one to each team. Then, for each of the three Sky Charts, have Sun 23.6 hrs –2.5 deg the students carefully pin the center of the disk on the Sun. All planets lying within Mercury 23.8 hrs –2.9 deg the disk are too close to the Sun to observe safely. For each Chart, have them Venus 23.3 hrs –5.9 deg complete the list on their Worksheets of which planets are safe, and which are not Mars 12.0 hrs 4.2 deg safe, to observe for the date of the Chart. Jupiter 20.9 hrs –17.8 deg Saturn 00.5 hrs 1.2 deg Uranus 20.6 hrs –19.0 deg Ask students to research thoroughly the changing positions of planets to Neptune 20.1 hrs –19.9 deg see if there’s a planet which can never be observed with the HST. Pluto 16.4 hrs 8.7 deg

22 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Activity 2C: Observing “Moving Targets” with the HST

In this Activity you and your team are going to become Mission Planners for the Hubble Space Telescope. Astronomers cannot just look at any planet with the HST, anytime they wish. Zone of This is because planets change position in the sky relative to the Sun, and the HST’s instruments are so sensitive they are usually Solar not pointed within about 45 degrees of the Sun. Sometimes, the planets wander too close to be observed safely. Your job will be to Avoidance ﬁgure out for the astronomers, for three different dates, which Disk planets can and cannot be observed with the HST. Your teacher will pass out Sky Maps and Tables of positions for the Sun and the planets on three different dates. As instructed, plot the position of all these celestial objects on the appropriate Star Charts. Use the HST Zone of Solar Avoidance Star Chart disk to determine which planets are safe to view and which are not for each of the dates in question. Once you have plotted all your data, ﬁll the appropriate spaces in the Table below with the words SAFE or UNSAFE

PLANET March 14, 1996 January 15, 1997 March 14, 1997 Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto

Then answer the following questions. 1. What can you say about the position of the Sun on March 14, 1996 and March 14, 1997. Why?

2. Which two planets appear close to the Sun on all three dates? Why do you think so? 3. The dashed line in your Charts shows the path of the Sun among the stars as seen from Earth (known as the “eclip- tic”). All the planets (except Pluto) lie very close to this line. Why? (Hint: It has to do with the shape of the solar system)

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 23 Activity 2D: Bouncing Data around the World

Objective

Students will demonstrate the communications path between a distant planet and an observer on Earth, with data transmitted via HST, communications satellites and ground stations. Satellite Locations ▼ TDRS: one student is placed at the edge of the room exactly Ask students to relate how a letter, sent from far away, gets to their opposite White Sands, NM, house. Have them brainstorm a list of places the letter may have passed and wears the sign TDRS. through—including the Internet—what kinds of vehicles may have been used ▼ DOMSAT: another student to carry it, how long it took to travel to its destination, etc. wearing DOMSAT is placed just as far away from the Earth / as TDRS, but is positioned Explain that scientists need to send instructions up to HST as it orbits between White Sands and the Earth as well as receive data back from it. This activity will help students Goddard. Explain that DOM- better understand the communications path between a scientist such as our SAT is another geosynchro- Planet Advocates, and they themselves as LHST "virtual co-investigators,” and nous used by NASA which also the Hubble Space Telescope, showing how data are sent and received. relays TV programs and other communications. Materials A minimum of eight students is necessary for this activity ▼ At this point, you could start one 6" or 8" ball (slightly deflated) the Earth rotating SLOWLY and ▼ tennis ball (optional) let the geosynchronous satellites ▼ Set of 8 signs mounted on cardboard and string that students can wear move sideways to try to keep up around their necks. Signs should read: Planet (Neptune or Pluto?), HST, with the Earth. They have to TDRS, (Tracking & Data Relay Satellite) White Sands, DOMSAT, remain over the same spot on the (domestic satellite) Goddard (or GSFC), STScI, P.I. (Principal Investigator) Earth. You could also wait until ▼ clear space enough for the demo (20' x 20' at least)—a gym is ideal. everyone gets assigned a position Everyone must be free to move—no tables or chairs in the way. before you start the rotation. ▼ overhead transparency of the HST satellite data flow (see inside back cover) ▼ HST: another student is given the HST sign to wear. Explain Procedure Show students the overhead transparency of the HST satellite that HST is only 380 miles data flow. Explain the diagram, following the data path as shown. Explain that above the Earth. Position this the HST receives, stores, and later relays data that is detected by the telescope. student very close to the Earth. Explain that TDRS is operated by NASA and communicates with the HST travels around the Earth ground station at White Sands, New Mexico. TDRS is in a geosynchronous approximately 15 times for orbit, meaning it is synchronized with the Earth's rotation ("geo" meaning every once that the Earth turns Earth). TDRS is approximately 26,000 miles from the center of the Earth (all (15 times per day), so it moves geosynchronous satellites are positioned at this distance. Their period of revolu- around the Earth much faster tion is the same as the time it takes for the Earth to rotate once around its axis). than the rate at which the (NASA actually operates two geostationary satellites for HST, TDRS East and Earth rotates. TDRS West, but only one TDRS communicates with HST at a time.) ▼ PLANET: from a corner of Earth Locations the room or anywhere well outside of the outer satellites, Four students are placed back to back in the center of the room forming a a student is positioned with circle that will represent the Earth. (This is done for ease of the demonstration the PLANET sign. although in reality, all of the ground stations are on the continental United States and therefore the satellites would actually only send signals to a portion The student is given the of the Earth rather than to the whole globe.) small, slightly-deflated ball that will representing star light. For Each of the four students is given a sign to wear—in consecutive order the purposes of this demonstra- from left to right: P.I., STScI, Goddard, White Sands. This may sound com- tion the PLANET does not move, plex, but just look at the diagram looking down on Earth’s north pole loca- so the student stands still. tions and with an arrow specifying rotation (see inside back cover) and all will become clear! The path of data from the planet to the P.I. is as follows: Adapted with permission from NASA’s EUVE Satellite Data Flow by Marlene Wilson and Dennis Biroscak, Planet, HST, TDRS, White Sands, with contributions from Bill Hammerman and Dan Reimer Thanks Marlene and everyone! http://sdp1.cea.berkeley.edu:80/Education/dataflow/ DOMSAT, Goddard, STScI, P.I.

24 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Motion in Space Hubble as a Weather Satellite for Make sure students understand the difference between rotation and revolution. Within the revolution category are two subcategories, Our Solar System geosynchronous (or geostationary) revolution and non-geosynchro- Earth has been called an “incredible weather nous revolution. For this demonstration, the only satellite that is machine.” Orbiting satellites hourly scan the non-geosynchronous is the HST. At this point, you may want to do planet from pole to pole, tracking storms, a small "sub-demo" by having one student stand at the center of the recording temperatures and moisture levels, and room representing Earth, who will then rotate while one person on helping meteorologists make better weather the outside (a satellite) follows the face of the "Earth." Students will forecasts. Can you think of a satellite that’s regu- clearly see that the Earth needs to rotate very slowly to allow time larly used to study weather on other planets? It’s for the satellite to follow (around the circumference of the room). the Hubble Space Telescope, often doing as Then start the motion in space with everyone except the PLAN- much meteorology as astronomy—scanning our ET as described above. Now call out the path as the students throw celestial neighbors and revealing amazing worlds the ball. Have them call out who they are as the ball is caught by each. of weather clear across the solar system. ▼ The Planet throws the ball (planetary image) to HST. Mars has a thin atmosphere of carbon dioxide ▼ HST sends the ball to TDRS. that keeps the planet drier than the Sahara and ▼ TDRS sends the ball to White Sands. far colder, on average, than Antarctica. Hubble ▼ White Sands sends the ball up to DOMSAT located between has shown us that the planet’s temperature is White Sands and Goddard. now, on average, some 20 degrees less than that ▼ DOMSAT sends the ball to Goddard. recorded by the Viking spacecraft in the 1970s, a significant and puzzling change. ▼ Goddard "hands" the ball to STScI (since the data are trans- ported through ground-based phone lines at this point). At the edge of the solar system, orbits tiny Pluto. Like Neptune’s moon, Triton, Pluto may ▼ Finally, the ball (planetary image) is handed from STScI to the have a thin nitrogen atmosphere that sometimes P.I. (Surprisingly enough, this is usually done via FEDEX!) propels frosts and fogs across its icy landscape, Variations: Data Drop-out and at other times freezes in place as Pluto’s When someone drops the ball, it can be considered data "drop- “seasons” change. Only closer study will reveal out" and the ball goes back to the planet again. Explain that a data Pluto’s climate and weather. drop-out can occur at any point in the communication path. Between Mars and Pluto are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, giant worlds whose faces Commanding the HST are but the tops of enormous, turbulent atmos- Another ball (tennis ball) could be used to represent a command pheres, thousands of miles deep. Here weather from the P.I. to HST. The path of the command is the same but in the is driven not by the Sun but by heat rising from opposite direction (P.I., STScI, Goddard, DOMSAT, White Sands, within. Soaring air currents couple with the plan- TDRS and HST). For more of a challenge, this can be done simultane- ets’ rapid rotation rates to produce jet streams ously with the incoming data from the planet, as in real life. that can race at over 1,000 miles per hour and After the physical demonstration is complete, have students dia- produce storms larger than the entire Earth. gram the activity, labeling all the locations, and using arrows to indi- When astronomers speak about the atmos- cate the flow of data, as if from a perspective out in space. [Younger pheres of the other planets, you’ll hear them talk students might be given a copy of the diagram used to introduce the of winds, temperatures and atmospheric pres- activity (remove arrows and labels before copying) on which to draw sures. Much of the vocabulary of interplanetary the path.] Illustrations and diagrams should be added to their HST weather will sound familiar to you and your stu- portfolios. Your students might also enjoy working collaboratively to dents from tv weather reports, but the scale will produce a hall display or large mural showing the datapath. be very different. After all, we’re talking about other worlds, giant, strange and fascinating. Using the Hubble Space Telescope to study our plan- Calculate the total time it takes light to travel the satellite path- etary neighbors, scientists are studying weather way from our target planets via HST to Goddard. (Hint: remember on a cosmic scale, with many more examples the formula: Distance = Speed x Time.) What else do you need to than were available before the Space Age. In the know? Speed of Light = 186,000 miles per second. What about the process, they are trying not only to understand number of miles between Earth, the various satellites, and the plan- weather on each individual planet but also the ets? The necessary information is all provided above and in Activity similarities and differences between these 1C—but students will have to apply some geometry to figure things worlds, and what they mean for Earth, now and out! Watch on-line and on camera for more Challenge Questions. in the future.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 25 Activity 2E: Pictures from Outer Space

Objective

Students will simulate the interrelated processes by which spacecraft computers encode pictures of a planet, and computers on Earth later decode digitized data and transform it back into an image of the planet.

Ask students to think about the last time they or one of their family members took pictures with their still camera. Ask them how they think the image of the real world got from inside their camera into their hands as finished prints. (The answer is, of course, a physical thing called film which, after being exposed to light, is removed from the camera, chemically processed at the photo shop and returned as prints or slides). Ask them how they think we get pictures from the HST and other spacecraft? Early satellites did indeed parachute film packs back to Earth, but that’s not the way it’s done today. And astronauts aren’t always popping up to change the film, so how does it work?

Materials (for each team) ▼ photocopy of the grid to the right fill out this way ▼ set of 4 paper sheets of differing shades of black to white (black, dark gray, light gray, white) ▼ glue, scissors, four paper cups (to hold sets of paper squares) / Have the students examine a TV or computer screen with a magnifying glass. Ask them to describe what they see. They’ll note the picture is actually made up of little dots (called pixels, or picture elements.) Explain that the HST and other spacecraft actually send images to Earth by radio as a long string of numbers which tell the location and brightness of each pixel in the image. Then computers put all the pixels together like a great cosmic jigsaw puzzle. Explain that in this Activity, they are going to take the place of NASA computers and convert a string of coded data from a spacecraft back into the image of an actual object in space. Procedure Begin by dividing the class up into ten Data Analysis Teams (and since this is a space-related project, you can call them DAT’s. All space agencies love acronyms.) Give each DAT a copy of one of the coded lists of numbers (their “data stream”) from your Master Code List. Also provide a copy of the grid to the right. Tell them: 1. their grid provides the framework for one portion, strip or slice of the picture to be deciphered from space 2. the numbers in their data stream represent information on the brightness of the 1120 image pixels that they will be responsible for putting in place 3. the order of the pixels in their data stream is a clue to the order in which their pixels are to be arranged in their portion of the final image Instruct them to place the grid horizontally on their desk tops (with the “L” mark on the left) and begin to encode the image by placing the first number in their data stream in the uppermost left box in their image grid. (Here they are doing, in a greatly simplified way, what the CCD detectors on board a spacecraft do when they observe a target.) Then place the second number in the data stream in the box on the same line immediately to the right, the third number in the next box, etc. When the first line is complete, tell them to begin filling in the second line of the grid, again from left to right, and continuing until their entire grid is filled in. Then one member of the team should re-read the numbers as the others check for accuracy. Final image is constructed with strips in this orientation 26 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE When all teams have completed this task, pass out a set of paper sheets to each team. Explain that the shades of brightness and darkness correspond to the From pixels to pictures numbers sent down by the spacecraft with 0 representing pure white, 1 light The Hubble Space Telescope and gray, 2 dark gray and 3 representing black. Tell them to carefully cut the pieces other spacecraft, including weather of paper into small squares each the size of one of the grid boxes and to group satellites, take pictures using video each different color into a different pile. (An alternative is to use a paper-cutter, technology and devices known as carefully, to mass produce squares in advance, then distribute them in paper charge coupled devices, or CCDs for cups) Have students glue an appropriately shaded square over each correspond- short. Like a picture on a TV set or ingly-numbered grid box. Be sure to have one member of the DAT time how computer screen, each image is made long the process takes to code their grids. up of thousands of tiny dots or pic- When all the DATs are finished, assemble all the pieces of the image to ture elements (“pixels”). The pictures create the full image (as shown below left) on a larger piece of paper or card. are not sent down to the ground as As the image comes together, challenge them to identify it, giving clues hard copy. Instead, the photons of as you go. When completed, tell them the significance of Jupiter’s Great Red light reflected off an object are col- Spot, and show them the actual image from Voyager 2 for comparison (to be lected by the sensitive CCDs, and seen in Program 1, “The Great Planet Debate” and on the HST lithographs recorded and analyzed pixel by pixel. co-packaged with this Guide). Then, the information on the location of each pixel within the picture and the brightness of that particular pixel Relate the coarsely-detailed (or “low resolution”) image the students assem- is radioed down to Earth. Computers bled to an actual image from the HST, as on the enclosed lithographs. These convert this information back into images clearly have more detail because they contain many more pixels in the light and dark spots and place these same space and incorporate many more shades of gray between white and black. pixels in their correct positions, so In short, it contains much more (picture and computer) information. that a complete picture is re-consti- tuted by computer. Prints and slides (See Activity 3A page 30 for how black and white data becomes a color can then be made. This is the process image.) Have the students compare the number of pixels and shades of gray in you and your students will see hap- their image and one from the HST, using the information given in their pening for images of Jupiter, Neptune Worksheets. Finally, ask them to calculate how much longer it would have and Pluto during the videos, and you’ll taken them to assemble the real image at the rate they worked. be able to follow the Planet Advocates’ image processing work How HST’s Instruments Share the Telescope’s Focal on-line, during the hectic weeks Plane & Incoming Electromagnetic Radiation between the live broadcasts. Another key thing to appreciate is that the HST and other spacecraft take their images in black and white. Yet we see beautiful spacecraft images in full color, such as the M- 16/Eagle Nebula picture co-packaged with this Guide. How is this possible? To make a color image of an object, the spacecraft takes several black and white images, each through a different colored filter. By carefully examining how bright different parts of the object look through the different filters, scientists using computers can figure out the true appearance of the object, and so re-create a realistic color image.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 27 Activity 2E: Pictures from Outer Space

You and your Team of Data Analysts are going to take the place of NASA computers and decipher an image beamed DATA STREAM for “Pictures from Outer Space” down from space. (This is an actual image, created in 1979 Team #1 even though it’s been simplified for this activity.) Your team will 0000 0001 1100 1100 0112 1112 3333 0000 0100 1211 1110 0120 2233 3333 be responsible for putting together part of the overall picture. 0001 0010 1221 1111 1120 2333 3333 Your teacher will pass out a special grid and a stream of num- 0001 0000 1122 1111 1122 2333 3333 bers sent down by the spacecraft. Encode the grids with the Team #2 numbers as instructed by the teacher. As you begin, notice 0011 1000 0022 1101 1122 2323 3333 what time it is and write the time here. 0112 2100 1022 1101 1111 2223 3333 0122 2210 0102 2211 1111 2223 3333 You’ll receive several sheets of paper, 4 colors ranging from 0121 2222 0101 1111 2111 2122 3333 pure white to pure black. Carefully cut them into squares the Team #3 size of the grid boxes and attach the correct squares to the grid 1211 1112 2111 2211 2110 2212 2333 as explained by your teacher. 1211 1111 2211 1221 1101 2212 2333 1210 2211 2221 1222 1111 1122 2333 When you are done, your team will have completed one 1210 2222 2221 2122 1111 1112 2333 portion of the image. Again, note the time here. Team #4 Now, answer the next five questions and when you’re finished 0210 2222 2222 1112 1222 1121 2233 tell your teacher that your grid is complete. What was the 0120 1122 3222 2111 2211 2121 2233 total amount of time it took your team to complete its 0021 1222 3322 3211 2100 1211 2233 0021 1223 3332 3212 1000 0121 2223 assignment? Team #5 How many pixels were there in your team’s grid? 1012 1112 3332 3212 2000 0021 1223 How many teams are there in your class? 1012 1112 3333 2312 2000 0012 2223 2111 2121 2333 2322 2100 0002 1223 How many total pixels are there in the overall image put 2111 2111 2333 3332 2210 0001 2223 together by the class? Team #6 Now your teacher will collect all the completed portions of 0210 1211 2233 3332 1221 0001 2313 the image and put them together so you can see what the 0220 0221 1222 2232 1222 1001 2333 0211 0022 2222 2332 1212 2222 2233 spacecraft was seeing. 1012 1002 2222 3232 1222 2222 2223 Finally, consider the following: The total number of pixels Team #7 in the image that your class assembled was 1,120. Each pixel 2001 2101 2233 3332 1221 1122 2332 had one of four numbers assigned to it , designating one of 2300 1210 1123 3332 0122 1211 2332 3210 0012 2223 2332 0112 1212 2333 four shades of gray, white and black. That means it took 1,120 3221 1100 1222 1221 0011 1122 2333 x 4, or 4,480 pieces of information to make this picture. Team #8 That may seem like a lot but an image of Jupiter from the 3222 2221 0123 1222 1011 2222 2333 HST’s Wide Field Camera would use about 640,000 pixels, 3321 2212 1001 0112 1011 2232 2333 3321 1221 1000 0111 1001 1222 3233 each of which can have any one of 2,048 different shades of 3331 0122 2110 2111 1000 1212 1323 gray. That makes for a much clearer, smoother picture but it Team #9 takes much more information to create it. How many pieces of 3331 0122 2111 2121 1100 1122 1333 information would it take to make such an image? 0001 0120 0000 2111 1100 1122 1333 3332 0120 0000 1210 2100 1122 2232 Based on how long your DAT took to assemble your part 3332 1100 0010 1111 2100 1121 2332 of the image, (put together 4,480 pieces of picture informa- Team #10 tion) calculate how long it would take your team to assemble 2323 2100 0011 1222 1110 0122 2222 one entire HST image of Jupiter. Write your answer: 2323 2110 0111 1122 2221 0112 2222 2332 2122 2211 1112 2121 0112 1222 NASA computers take less than 5 minutes for the same 2332 2111 1011 1122 2222 0112 2222 task. Can you see why NASA likes to use computers?

28 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Program 3: Announcing YOUR Results

First airs live April 23, 1996, 13:00-14:00 Eastern ALEX STORRS, Planning Scientist, This program will take the form of a highly interactive scientific symposium, oriented to students, announcing the first Moving Targets, STScI results achieved by Live from the Hubble Space Telescope. A live It’s unfortunate the way a lot of basic science student audience of over one hundred will join Marc Buie and starts in schools these days with a list of facts to Heidi Hammel in STScI’s main auditorium in Baltimore, with be memorized, and lists of experiments and dis- e-mail and CUSeeMe input from other students around the coverers…this guy discovered that and that gal nation and the world. Heidi and Marc will share preliminary discovered this other thing. This lends a sort of findings, and respond to comments based on the parallel work inevitability to the process when it’s really quite that’s been done by students. We’ll review the questions which haphazard. Its all by guess and by gosh, it’s not initially motivated student interest in Pluto and Neptune during planned at all. The chances of finding something the the “Great Planet Debate,” and see which have been new are present in any observation, whether it’s answered and which require more analysis or research. with the Space Telescope, with a ground-based Live uplinks in America will include the Buhl Planetarium observatory, or made by somebody from their at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania back yard. People discover comets from their (where students helped make our original planet selections via back yards all the time. interactive technology) and Los Angeles, California, a school There is a chance, in any observation made by district making a major push to integrate the Internet into the any person, that you’ll find something new, and curriculum. The program will provide considerable “give and all you have to do is have an inquiring mind, and take” between the Planet Advocates and their student “Co- be open, and be alert, and be aware and don’t Investigators,” as students witness live the process of testing sci- accept as a given everything that you’ve been entific hypotheses, verifying results and sharing new findings told. Don’t accept that the universe is under- with peers to substantiate their significance. stood, but rather that the universe is a big, beau- Videotaped sequences will document “A Day in the tiful mystery that we are all trying to unravel. Life…,” taking us behind the scenes as Heidi Hammel works to transform raw planetary data into new knowledge: Heidi also plans to post a Field Journal of her image processing successes and (only temporary, we hope!) frustrations on-line. A second sequence documents the parallel process in one of our participating schools, where students employ user-friendly and freely Question Marks accessible graphics packages to analyze the same data. To help explain the technical steps in image processing, we see how the Space, stunning images of the Eagle Nebula (as seen in the co-pack- deep, dark hellish space, aged poster) ends up on the cover of Time for Kids. Footage Continuing light years of nothingness from giant storms on Earth, and images from HST and other No one can discern the oddities of space. spacecraft, allow us to compare and contrast weather on Earth The planets and our neighboring planets: we come to understand the lands of barren matter, dynamics underlying the images of (possible!) bright or dark clouds on Neptune, and seasonal changes (perhaps!) on Pluto. The blazing, flaming colossal sun The concluding tape sequence shows “What’s Next?,” Continues to burn, describing the next HST Servicing Mission (slated for early and burn, 1997), plans for the first-ever spacecraft mission to study Pluto and burn. and Charon closeup, and initial concepts for a Next Generation Perhaps a herd of bizarre creatures, Space Telescope, one of whose main functions would be to and maybe nothing at all, search for planets around other stars. Perhaps another dimension, Viewers will be reminded about how to participate on-line, and maybe nothing at all, and how to utilize the project on tape after the live telecast. No one really knows how we got here, and maybe we’re nothing at all.

STEPHEN SMETHERS, Summit Middle School.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 29 Activity 3A: The Universe in Living Color

Objective Light, color and the effects Students will experiment with color filters and be guided towards deriving the process by which HST converts B&W images into color pictures. of colored filters We suggest you use the red, green and Show students some of the stunning HST color images, such as those of blue filters co-packaged with this Guide M-16, the Eagle Nebula (which also appears on the poster co-packaged with (and others you can obtain or borrow) to this Guide.) Ask the students if they realize that the HST can only “see” in allow your students to explore the prop- black and white. Ask them how they think such color images are created. erties of light and filters for themselves, before you begin Activity 3A. Have them Materials (for each team: color filters may need to be shared) use the enclosed HST lithographs and ▼ set of three color filters (red, green and blue), co-packaged with this Guide other color images for their experiments. ▼ copies of the student worksheet, p. 31, providing simulated black and Guide them to discovering the principles white views of a hypothetical planet, as if taken through red, green and they’ll use to transform black and white blue filters data into color pictures. ▼ black, red, green and blue paper or other test objects or material (match- Normal sunlight and most classroom ing their color as closely as possible to that of provided colored filters) lighting is “white light,” meaning it contains ▼ markers and crayons of colors chosen to match the filters (see box below) all colors of the spectrum. Opaque objects appear the color they do when illuminated Note: since this Guide is only black and white, before beginning the Activity, by white light because their surfaces scat- please prepare the answer by coloring-in the hypothetical planet as suggested by ter only certain colors back into our eyes. the color code. “Please try to keep within the lines!” A white object appears white because it scatters all the colors which together make / white light. A pure black object appears Explain that scientists use computers to create color images from HST and black because its surface absorbs all the other spacecraft by combining information from several black and white images light which falls on it and scatters none of taken through different colored filters. Explain that this is because objects reveal it back into our eyes. An object looks red different aspects of their surfaces through filters of different colors. In this because it scatters only the red rays in Activity, students will be able to explore this phenomenon for themselves, and white light back into our eyes. then deduce the “real” colors of a hypothetical planet, working only from black and white images—just like NASA’s computers. (To repeat, the planet is hypo- Colored filters only allow light of their thetical and, for clarity’s sake, composed only of primary colors but the same particular color to pass through. Thus a red principles and procedures apply to any image of any color or hue.) filter only allows red light to pass through; a green filter only green light. So a white Procedure Use the sidebar (right) as necessary to help explain the theory of object (which scatters all colors of light), why objects look the colors they do under white light and through filters of dif- will look the color of whatever filter it is ferent colors. Pass out the sets of red, green and blue filters to each team. Have seen through: red through a red filter, students look through their filters at pieces of paper that are white, black, red, green through a green filter. A black object green and blue, and fill in the chart on their worksheets in which they describe scatters no light, so it will look black the color these objects appear, with and without the filters. through any color filter. A red object will When students have completed their charts, distribute red, green and blue look red through a red filter, but black (or marking pens. Explain that these show three images of the same simplified and gray) through a green or blue filter, hypothetical planet. All the images are black and white, but each appears as if because the object only gives off red light. taken through the different color filters, as indicated. Using marking pens and Similarly, a green object will look green their chart as a guide, ask students to study the three black and white images through a green filter, but black (or gray) carefully, and then draw an image in color showing through a red or blue filter. A blue object what they think the planet really looks like. When FOR OPTIMAL RESULTS will look blue through a blue filter but black they are done, show students the correct answer you Use Crayola Crayons (24 (or gray) through a red or green filter. have prepared in advance, and guide them to appre- pack, UPC# 7166200024): Note: depending on the exact color of ciate the reasons why. cerulean blue, red and red, blue and green in the images you use, green with the co-pack- and the exact color of the markers, aged blue filter. crayons or pencils available to students, Have students apply the principles of this Use Magic Marker you will get more or less the “ideal” results Activity to create “Hidden Messages” which can only Presentation Plus (6 marker described above. A red object through pack, UPC# 71662 00747): be detected using filters of the appropriate color. the blue filter may appear gray rather than red, green, and blue markers with the co-packaged pure black, but students should still be red and green filters. able to grasp the basic principles. 30 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Activity 3A: The Universe in Living Color

In this Activity, you and your Data Analysis Team are going to create a color image of a planet, beginning with just three black and white images as clues to its “real” appearance. It’s a fancy piece of detective work. Your teacher will distribute color filters to your Team and ask you to examine samples of paper which are white, black, red, green and blue through the R filters. Fill in the boxes in the Chart below with the color that each of these objects appears when seen through each of the different filters. Study the diagram to the right. Each shows light from objects of a dif- G ferent color passing through different-colored filters. Apply what you learned from your “eyes-on” experiment, and fill in the blank space with the color which you think passes through the filter. This is the color the object will appear if it’s seen through that filter. If you think that no color B would pass through, write “none.” This means the object would look black through that filter. Below are three black and white images of a hypothetical planet. Each R simulated image appears as if it was taken through the different color filter noted under the image. FILTER COLOR Examine these images carefully and applying the rules you gen- G SAMPLE RED GREEN BLUE erated, figure out the real col- White ors of the planet’s features. Black Using colored pens or markers, B Red create a color drawing of the Green planet in the blank circle Blue below. R

R = Red G = Green B = Blue Your planet to color

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 31 Activity 3B: Watching the Weather Move

Students will plot the movement of weather systems on Earth and other planets, compare/contrast and measure the size and speed of storms, supporting their conclusions with relevant data. Objective

Have students collect and/or familiarize themselves with weather data in advance of this Activity, e.g. weather satellite images in newspapers, or by assign- ing them to watch television. In class, show students a picture of the weather (Great Red Spot) taken by an Earth-orbiting satellite, as on the copy masters provided. Ask them to identify the geographical areas that are clear and cloudy. Ask them how the clouds GRS move as weather systems develop and dissipate from day to day. Ask them if other Image #1 planets have clouds and “weather” and, if so, do they think the clouds move there Image #2 as well. (Does Mercury have weather? Does Pluto? Go on-line, and see what Image #3 Planet Advocate Marc Buie has to say about weather and seasons on Pluto.) Ask them to suggest ways in which clouds can be used to monitor the direction and rate of motion of weather on a planet. Materials (All to be found on the copy masters provided) ▼ Copies of Earth image #1 (without the dotted line on ▼ Copies of Jupiter images #1, #2, and #3 the clouds over the Northeast) and Earth image #2 ▼ Teacher version of Weather image #1 / Explain that through the use of orbiting satellites and It’s for that reason that some call the Hubble an “inter- spacecraft, we are now able to see the weather over the planetary weather satellite.” entire Earth as well on other planets. Several satellites Spacecraft cameras only take still images, but sequential over the Earth’s equator send us images every hour for a images can be edited together by computer so we can see constant record of the Earth’s weather. Other spacecraft the weather in motion, as you typically see on the TV like the two Voyager probes to the outer planets took weather report, or in some of the dynamic images of Jupiter images of the atmospheres of those remote worlds as they which Dr. Reta Beebe showed during LHST Program 1, ﬂew past in the 1970’s and 1980’s. But these images were “The Great Planet Debate.” In this Activity, students will all taken over brief periods of time, as if the newspaper compare spacecraft images of the Earth and Jupiter and, by printed a satellite image of Earth today, and no more for measuring the motion of the clouds, determine and contrast decades! The Hubble Space Telescope can image the the speed of the particular weather systems shown. weather of other worlds over time, looking for changes.

Procedure Distribute copies of the images of Earth and cold front), and have them notice, in particular, the line Jupiter to your students. Begin with Earth. Ask them to behind the front where clear skies are replacing cloudiness identify the geographical area covered in the images and, for (indicated by a dashed line in the Teachers’ Copy). In Image the ﬁrst image, have them write a general description of #1, have students mark 4 points along the “clearing line” where the atmosphere (the weather) is clear, and where it is (which we will call line “A”) from Virginia down to Cuba cloudy. Next draw their attention to the second Earth image. and label them “A,” “B,” “C” and “D.” Next, have them line Tell them that this image was taken 16 hours after the ﬁrst up Image #2 on top of Image #1 and draw the position of image. Ask them if the general areas of clear and cloudy the clearing line in Image #2 onto the clouds in Image #1. weather are the same. Suggest they look closely for changes. (See Teachers’ Copy.) Call this line “B.” Next, from points “A,” “B,” “C” and “D,” have them draw straight lines per- Have them tape copies of Image #2 to a windowpane. pendicular to line “A” until they intersect with Line “B.” Then carefully place Image #1 on top of it and line the Mark these points of intersection “E,” “F,” “G” and “H.” pictures up. Holding the left margin of Image #2 in place, Using an atlas to measure scale, have them measure the dis- quickly cover and uncover Image #1. They will see the tance between these pairs of points and, using the elapsed weather in motion. time of 16 hrs. between images, calculate the average speed Draw their attention to the large “comma-shaped” of the clearing line. cloud formation over part of the eastern United States (a

32 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Jet streams are rapidly moving currents of air in a plan- will measure the speed of cloud features at two different lat- et’s atmosphere that steer and drive weather systems. Have itudes relative to the most distinctive “landmark” (sic) on students record the position of the jet stream from weather the planet Jupiter’s distinctive cloud feature, the Great Red reports or newspapers for a few weeks and write a report on Spot. In the process, students will be able to determine the how the position and orientation of the jet stream caused the speed of two of Jupiter’s jet streams and compare their types of weather experienced during this time period. speeds to that of the cold front over the eastern U.S. Now call attention to the three images of Jupiter (taken Explain that the images were taken on the dates and by Voyager 1 in 1979.) Explain that in the ﬁrst section of times noted. Jupiter’s equator runs through the middle of the Activity the students measured the speed of a cold front each image. Jupiter’s north pole runs across the top and the on Earth, relative to the ground. When we look at Jupiter, south pole across the bottom (thus these images are similar however, we see no solid surface for there is none, only the to Mercator map projections of Earth in that the size of fea- tops of clouds. In the second part of this Activity, students tures appears enlarged toward the poles). Have the students proceed as follows: 1. Point out the Great Red Spot (GRS) in all three images. 9. Determine the total elapsed time in hours between Ask the students to estimate the center of the GRS in Image #1 and Image #3. each image, and place a small dot at these points. 10. Calculate the average speed of clouds A and B relative to 2. Have students line up all 3 images of the GRS. the GRS in kilometers per hour (divide by 1.609 for the 3. Draw a straight line through the dots drawn in step #1 answer in miles per hour.) that is perpendicular to the top of image #1 (as shown 11. Point out the white cloud features (marked “C” and “D” on p. 32) and tape the images to the desk top. on your Teacher’s Copy) on Image #1 and Image #2. 4. Point out the 2 white, oval-shaped clouds (“A” and “B” 12. Carefully measure the distance in millimeters from the on your Teacher’s Copy) on Image #1 and Image #3. right edge of each of these clouds to the line drawn 5. Have students carefully measure the distance in millime- through the centers of the GRS. ters from the right edge of each of these clouds to the 13. Determine how many millimeters cloud C and cloud D line drawn through the centers of the GRS. moved between the two images; then take an average. 6. Have students determine how many millimeters cloud A 14. Again, using 20,000 kilometers for the east-west diame- and cloud B have moved between the two images; then ter of the GRS, convert the average movement of clouds take an average. C and D to kilometers. This time, for this latitude, the 7. Have students measure the east-west diameter of the proper conversion factor is 1.07 (yes, 1.07 is correct). GRS in millimeters. 15. Determine the total elapsed time in hours between 8. The actual diameter of the GRS is about 20,000 kilome- Image #1 and Image #2. ters. Have students determine the answer in kilometers 16. Calculate the average speed of clouds C and D relative to item #6. Then multiply by the “latitude conversion to the GRS in kilometers per hour (divide by 1.609 for factor” (0.92). These images show clouds towards the answer in miles per hour). Jupiter’s poles as larger than they really are, multiply the 17. Compare the speed of these jet streams on Jupiter to the answer above by 0.92 to get the real answer. one on Earth calculated in the ﬁrst part of this activity.

Cloud C Cloud A Cloud D Cloud B Great Red Spot Activity 3B Watching the Weather Move

Carefully examine the two satellite images of where the four straight lines you drew through the Earth that your teacher has given you. Brieﬂy points A, B, C and D cross this curved line. describe the portion of the world that they cover. Mark these four points E, F, G and H (from Take a look at Image #1. Write a general north to south). description of where the weather is clear and In the time between when the two images where it is cloudy. were recorded, point A moved to point E, point Look at Image #2. Are the cloudy and clear B moved to point F, and so on. To ﬁnd out how areas generally the same? Do you notice some fast the clearing line moved, use the distance differences? This image was taken 16 hours after scale to measure from point A to E, from B to F, Image #1. By comparing the images, we can see etc., and write your answer in the spaces below. where and how the weather has changed. Distance in miles (kilometers) from : Tape Image #2 to a windowpane. Then place Image #1 on top of it and carefully line A to E = up the pictures. Next, hold Image #2 in place B to F = and tape the left margin of Image #2 in place. C to G = Holding the right margin of Image #2, quickly D to F = cover and uncover Image #1. You will see weather in motion. Look, in particular, at the eastern portion of Next calculate the average distance the the United States that is shown in the images. clearing line moved. Do this by simply adding The “comma shaped” cloud feature is a cold front the four distances you measured above and and marks the leading edge of colder air advanc- dividing by 4. Write your answer below. ing along the ground from west to east. We can Average distance moved by the clearing line determine how fast the front and its cold air is moving by carefully measuring the front’s change Finally, determine the average speed of the in position from one image to the next, taking clearing line. (How fast was that clear air mov- into account the time that elapsed between when ing in behind that cloudy front?) the images were taken. Using a pencil or pen, mark four points You can determine the average speed at which along the curved line where the air is clearing something was moving if you know how far it behind the front in Image #1. (Suggestion: traveled in a certain amount of time. Think about Start in western Virginia and move down along it. If a car travels 80 miles in 2 hours, what was its the clearing line from there to southern Florida average speed? The answer is 40 miles an hours or western Cuba.) From north to south, mark and you get the number by simply dividing the these points A, B C, and D. distance traveled by the time it took or Next, from each of the four points, draw a 80 miles / 2 hours = 40 miles / hour. straight line perpendicular to the clearing line The time between Image #1 and #2 was at that point. 16 hours. So divide the average distance you Now, carefully examine Image #2 and see calculated above by 16 hours to get the average where the clearing line is in this image. Draw speed of the clearing line in miles or kilome- the position of this clearing line over the top of ters/hour. Write your answer here. the comma shaped cloud in Image #1. Notice

34 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 34 Activity 3C: Planetary Storms/Observing Convection Currents

Objective Note: this Activity can be used as a Teacher Demonstration, if To observe a fundamental motion of air responsible for certain large cloud there are concerns for safety, or formations on Earth and other planets, and to report these observations. as a team hands-on activity for older students Show students pictures or—even better—video of thunderstorm clouds billowing, or ask them to describe in detail a thunderstorm they have experienced. Ask them if they have ever seen a day (especially in summer) start out clear, but become cloudy with thunderstorms by afternoon. / Explain that clouds, especially thunderstorm clouds, can frequently be created when the Sun heats the surface of the Earth. The surface, in turn, heats the air in contact with it, which begins to rise. The air cools as it rises and the moisture in it condenses to form clouds. When the upward-moving air rises rapidly, it can mushroom into towering clouds over 12 miles (app 20 kilometers) high. As the air cools, it descends back down to the ground to be heated anew, thus setting up a cycle, or cell of air, known as a “convection cell.” In this Activity, students will examine spacecraft images of the Earth and Uranus to ﬁnd such huge “convection cell” clouds, and create a small convection cell in which they can see the motion of air at different temperatures. Materials (for every two students, or team) ▼ shoe box (or other box of similar size with a lid) ▼ cardboard tube from a roll of paper towels ▼ short candle ▼ adhesive tape and a pair of scissors ▼ metal top from a jar (2 to 4 inches in diameter) ▼ Earth and Uranus images from copy masters supplied ▼ piece of clear plastic wrap (larger than side of the box) ▼ atlas, with distance scale for North America

Procedure Part 1 Finding and Measuring Large Cloud Features Next, have them examine the HST image of Uranus. on Spacecraft Images Contrast it to the image of Earth, and have them identify Pass out copies of spacecraft images of the Earth the two large cloud complexes they ﬁnd. Given that the and Uranus. Have students briefly describe the geo- diameter of Uranus is 31,771 miles (51,120 kilometers), graphical area covered in the Earth image, and identify have them estimate the size of these cloud features. How which areas are cloudy and which are clear. Explain that does the size of these convection cloud features on this image was taken on July 25, 1993, and that many of Uranus compare with the one over Earth. How much of the clouds they see are due to large rising cells of warm the U.S. would they cover if brought to Earth? air in the process of forming thunderstorms. Ask them Part 2 Creating a Convection Cell to see if they can find any thunderstorm activity over the Have students cut out most of one of the long sides of following states: California, western Texas, Arkansas, their shoe boxes and cover it with clear plastic, making a northern Georgia. window. Have them cut two holes in the lid just large When they arrive at the large, white area covering enough for the sections of cut paper tube to ﬁt through, as Iowa, as well as portions of Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and shown in the illustration. When ready, carefully light the Minnesota, tell them that this is a very large group of thun- candles and close the lid, making sure that the candle lies derstorms known as a “Mesoscale Convective Complex,” directly under one hole. Carefully place the smoking tip of a (MCC). Using a distance scale from an atlas, have them punk, or the smoking end of a tight curve of paper, near the measure its size. top of cardboard tube #2. Smoke introduced over the right

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 35 Activity 3C and 3D

“roof chimney” will descend since it’s cool, and travel across Pose the following questions to the students: the length of the box to rise out of the “left chimney” In the experiment you just completed, the candle sup- because of the rising current of warm air from the candle. plied the heat causing the air to rise. What is the source of (Note: a similar activity can also be done as a demon- heat that causes air to rise and form clouds on Earth? stration using a ﬁsh aquarium. Place room temperature What is the source of heat that does the same thing on the water in the aquarium, ﬁlling it to about 3/4 of the way up. giant planets in our solar system like Uranus? Place an aquarium heater at one end, and drape a plastic bag with ice cubes into the water at the other end. Allow the water to settle, then gently place a few drops of blue Go on-line and research the extensive weather-relat- food coloring into the water near the ice cubes, and red ed materials which can be found there. The HST Home food coloring near the base of the heater, using a long- Page will provide some of the best links. nosed dropper. Within a few minutes, the food coloring Send e-mail questions via LHST’s Researcher Q&A to will begin to trace out the cycle of currents in the water.) astronomers and scientists who are awaiting your inquiries! CONVECTION CELL SUN COOL AIR CLOUD COOL AIR DESCENDS DESCENDS

RISING WARM AIR SURFACE OF THE EARTH

Blue Food Coloring Ice in Bag Tied to Tank

Red Coloring

Heater

SHOE BOX FISH AQUARIUM Activity 3D: The Interplanetary Weather Report Objective

To compare/contrast weather on Earth and other planets in our solar system, and prepare a weather report similar to those on local newscasts, but interplanetary in scope. / Lead students in a discussion about weather, including Ask students if they have ever seen a weather satellite how the weather is observed, recorded and forecast. Ask image from another planet. If they say “no,” show them an them about the role weather satellites play in allowing us to image of Jupiter or Neptune taken by the HST. Explain that see and interpret the global weather situation every day. If as we have continued to explore, we have reached the point possible, show a video tape of satellite images from last where we are starting to view and study the weather on night’s tv weather report, and explain what the satellite other worlds. Tell them that for this project they are going allows us to see: weather in motion. If you get cable TV, try to become meteorologists working for “The Interplanetary to include a forecast segment that shows clouds over the News Network.” Their job: to issue the ﬁrst TV weather entire Earth. forecasts for other worlds in our solar system. 36 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Activity 3D: The Interplanetary Weather Report

Procedure Depending on students’ backgrounds, use may want to act as if they are reporting from different this Activity as an introduction to, or an extension of, the places on the planets, or from different levels in its atmos- study of meteorology. Have students research the funda- phere (“I’m up here in Jupiter’s clouds at about the height mentals of the Earth’s weather including how it is mea- that the Galileo probe disintegrated, and let me tell you, sured and forecast. Draw attention to what can be mea- Al…”) Challenge them to make it fun but also informative. sured at localized points around the globe (such as temper- Assist them in preparing visuals to be used in their weath- ature, wind speed and direction, types of clouds, etc.) and ercast including charts and slides from various sources. what is more easily seen by looking at satellite images of Again, you can provide a checklist to help them large portions of the Earth including widespread areas of organize their thinking: Does your world have a thick cloudiness, the location of jet streams, etc. atmosphere or a thin one? What is the atmosphere made Assign students to study TV weather reports. To of? Does the atmosphere allow us to see the surface of ensure they (and their parents) realize this is a serious the planet or moon, or are there clouds or haze in the assignment, ask them to record the channel # and call let- way? What’s the surface like? What are temperatures in ters, name of weathercaster and length of report. Have the upper parts of your world’s atmosphere? At different them list topics shown or discussed in order of presenta- levels in the atmosphere, or on the surface? What are the tion: for example, Current Temperatures, Satellite Image, typical daytime highs on your world? Uniform, or differ- Weather Map, High Temperatures Tomorrow, Forecast, ent at different places? Typical nighttime lows? Are they etc. What seems to be the important points about the different in different places? weather which are covered? Did the weathercaster mention Research the highest and lowest temperatures ever any severe weather? If so, what kind and where? Use this recorded in your region and across the Earth as a whole. list to help students think about the topics that might be How does your planet or moon compare? Does your covered during a typical weathercast. Suggest students world have seasons? How does this affect its weather? watch various channels, including the Weather Channel, to What is the air pressure deep in the atmosphere, or at sample different styles and content. Notice how the weath- the surface? Does the world have jet streams? How fast ercaster uses each visual, and what they say about each. do they blow? Always in the same direction? How do Divide students into teams and assign each the task of these affect the weather? Is there rain, mist or fog? What preparing a 5-7 minute TV weather report on a world is it made of, if not water, as on Earth? Does it snow? Is other than Earth. Saturn’s satellite, Titan and Neptune’s the snow made of frozen water like snow on Earth? Is companion, Triton, do have atmospheres and students may there lightning? Are there storms? If so, what kind? Big be challenged to take on some of this “moon meteorology” or small compared to storms on Earth? Are there few, or as well. Explain that in the case of other planets, there have many at one time? How long do the storms last? How been a few probes that have actually descended through does this compare to storms on Earth? some of their atmospheres to give a detailed set of readings Ensure students have sufﬁcient time to organize at one or two locations (Venus, and more recently Jupiter). their research once they’ve collected it. Have them think There have also been extensive satellite and spacecraft about how to make it interesting and fun for others to images of the planets from above. Challenge students to hear and watch. What visuals would help? What props read about the weather on these other worlds and prepare a might be useful? Prepare a script or outline. Have each team weather report, dividing topic and presentation team member practice doing their part of the weather- responsibilities among them. One member might want to cast, alone at ﬁrst, and then with the others on their report on overall temperatures, while another might give a team. Then, when they’re ready … “The Weather on special bulletin or update on some severe weather (“Over Other Worlds!” to you, Bob… Well, thanks, Jane…”) Different students

Invite a local tv or radio meteorologist to speak about project has helped nearly 200 schools around weather forecasting. Have the students prepare questions Washington, DC, become real-time weather reporting about the science of meteorology as well as how and why stations. There are similar school-based weather networks the guest speaker chose a career in this profession. in Houston and elswhere. Perhaps one of them will Go on-line and link from our homepage to appeal to you, or your Administration, as an opportunity “WeatherNet 4” to see how another NASA-funded IITA for ongoing weathercasting, on this planet, at least!

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 37 Closing Activities: Activity 4A: Writing Across the Solar System

Objective

Students will demonstrate their ability to synthesize what they’ve learned during the project by creating literary works of fact, fiction and/or poetry. / Ask students about various ways people learn about the Tell the class that they are going to explore space sky and objects in space. If they mention only books or pro- using the tools of written and/or oral expression. Challenge grams about science, help expand their horizons. Read them them to reach inside themselves for feelings they experi- a few poems about the stars, or a science fiction short story, ence as they look up at a starry sky or gaze at exotic pic- or perhaps a Native American legend about the sky. (See tures of other worlds in books or magazines. Don’t encour- Resources for several easily accessible examples.) Ask them age sentimentality: if you live in an urban area, and they to think about how such writings complement what science look up and see just sky glow, ask them to write about the tells us. Ask them to think about the social role played by contrast between what they know must be out there, and story-telling under the stars, at night around a camp-fire, what they can actually observe. If they’ve been moved by before there were movies and television to entertain us. an Imax movie, such as Destiny in Space, or a planetarium Share with them some of the examples of student writing show they can certainly jump off from there. Tell them about the stars spread throughout this Guide, and on-line that the only limit is their imagination. resulting from Live from the Stratosphere.

Procedure Assign students to discussion and work teams, or have them work solo. Have them research the planets of our solar system, or other objects in the universe, using the resources suggested for Activity 1B, but adding works of science fiction (especially short stories), poetry, or legends and tales from ancient mythology (Greco-Roman, Chinese, etc.), as well as various modern and near-modern cultures. Sharing student work via Ask them to choose and develop a subject and a form of expression. They on-line Kids’ Corner may wish to write a short story set in the future, or a poem about a starry Many of the Activities in this Guide night last summer. If they are interested in story-telling as oral tradition, have provide opportunities to integrate them make-believe they are the chief storyteller of an ancient tribe, who technology in teaching and learning tonight will gather the people and tell them a story of the sky. (Hint: the through the use of computer-based names of the Constellations are an obvious starting point for stories explain- art, word processing, desktop publishing the “pictures in the sky.”) ing, and multimedia applications. Passport to Knowledge invites educators to submit student work to be shared When all the students have completed their assignments, have them pre- on-line via Kids’ Corner, a gallery of stu- sent or perform their works in front of the class. Class discussion can follow dent creativity from participating class- about how such forms of expression complement what we know, through sci- rooms. Be sure to save your students’ ence, about the universe. work to Mac or IBM diskette, and Students wishing to write a short story may set it at some point when clearly label file names, content, humans have reached out to one of the HST’s target planets. If so, have them teacher, grade, school, full address, incorporate what they’ve learned about that planet from this Live from… pro- phone number, and other relevant ject. Challenge them to take into account the scientific wonders they will see, background information. Send the as well as the hazards they might face (intense radiation or the tedium of diskette(s) to: long-term space flight). Marc Siegel, NASA Ames Research Some students might want to take on the challenge of writing a science Center, Mailstop T-28H, Moffett Field, fiction story in which the HST is the main character (like HAL in 2001) and CA 94035 the reader sees and “feels” the excitement of exploration and discovery Student-created image and text files through the camera eyes and computer brain of the HST itself. How does the will be added to Kids’ Corner as appro- Hubble “feel” when these humans periodically come and go, doing eye- priate. Individual student e-mail surgery, prodding and poking, and then leaving until the next servicing mis- addresses will not be included. Student sion? How does Hubble feel, sharing the starlight with these puny, so-called name, school names, location, grade astronauts, when it’s he/she (there’s a discussion to be had right there!) who’s level will be cited, unless requested the true seer for the humans down on Earth? otherwise.

38 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Activity 4B: “Lights… Camera… the Universe”

Objective

Students will collaborate and demonstrate the ability to use research, writing and presentation skills to create a multimedia report based on HST observations of the solar system or the Universe at large. / Ask students to think of ways that images and sound Encourage students to research the subject by looking work together (TV commercials, videos on MTV and at illustrated articles in magazines such as Odyssey, Astronomy VH-1, animated and feature films). Ask them to think and Sky & Telescope, as well, perhaps, as TV shows such as about how and why directors and writers compose words, Star Trek or Babylon 5. Have them write and present an music and pictures as they do. Say their homework is to analysis of a piece they find compelling. Remind them that become students of the media, to become media-literate. they are watching TV to learn ways in which images articu- Tell them they will then have a chance to become multi- late the story. You can order slide sets by famous space media authors, producers and directors, rather than pas- artists for your class: see Resources for other suggestions. sive consumers. Have them select a genre for their work. If they choose Do such works sometimes take their audience to realism, challenge them to research the science behind the places that are impossible to visit by any current technol- scenes they’re going to create. What physical processes are ogy, to a “Land before Time,” on voyages of the Starship at work? Does their planet have huge storms, gigantic light- Enterprise in a future yet to come? Help them differenti- ning bolts or other interesting features? (see Activity 3C for ate between fact and fiction, between science documen- a list of interplanetary weather.) How can this be effectively taries and dramatic imagination. Tell students of the shown? If they choose fiction or fantasy, challenge them to impact made by works of fiction, such as H.G. Wells’ develop a coherent, detailed vision of a world. What is this War of the Worlds and Jules Verne’s fictional trips to the place like? How does it resemble or differ from our own moon, on the inventors of modern rocketry. Like art and world? (Space artist Adolf Schaller conjured up “Hunters, science, fact and fiction are sometimes complementary. Floaters and Sinkers,” hypothetical life-forms which might The trick, however, is always to know one from the exist in the clouds of Jupiter, and an entire ecosystem of other when it counts! hunters and prey: fantasy, sure, but based on substance. Encourage similar creative leaps.)

Materials ▼ recorded music excerpts (examples: the classical music As they are considering the pictures they’ll use, have suite The Planets by Gustav Holst, Japanese composer the students also listen to music for their presentation. Ask Kitaro’s film scores, works by Vangelis—Bladerunner, them to think about what type of music comes to mind Chariots of Fire; the Music of Cosmos compilation sound- when they look at the pictures, but encourage them to track, or other music your students choose.) experiment with different kinds of music. Expose the ▼ pictures from books, magazines, computer archive or techno fans to Holst, and the violinists to rock. But let them Internet, especially NASA public domain images end up feeling that the choice is fully theirs. ▼ still camera, color slide film, slide projector When the Big Day arrives, have the teams of students ▼ audio tape player introduce and perform their presentations. Depending on ▼ appropriate materials from art class the social dynamics of your class, you might want to have a “Golden Planets—Students’ Choice Award” for the ▼ computer Draw and Paint programs, if available “best” in the various categories. Procedure Have the students form creative teams. Each team will create a presentation utilizing no more than 2 minutes of music, and no more than 24 slides. Ask each team to If some students enjoy playing musical instruments, or pick a planet, and search books, magazines, and Internet creating music, allow them to tape their own music for the sites, for pictures of that planet and its satellites. audio portion of a presentation. Show students how to make slides of these pictures and Suggest to the Principal that your students might pre- images by properly pointing and focusing the camera. Don’t sent to the school, to lower grades, to a PTA meeting (espe- use flash. Do use a tripod! Suggest they photograph books cially if your department needs extra support funds!), to the and magazines outside, or near a daylit window in indirect school board, if it has questions about just what those light if they are using film that is marked for daylight use. modems and computers do, or to local citizens on election Photograph images from a computer screen in a darkened day. Your students will gain confidence in themselves as room to reduce glare. authors, as teachers, as well as learners.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 39 Activity 4B and 4C

Have your students investigate the world of Space Art in tion. Now turn to the Teacher Evaluation Forms, ﬁll ’em greater depth including the International Astronomical out and send ’em in… and 500 of you will receive a free Artists’ Association and NASA’s Artist in Space program. copy of NASA’s Astronomy Village CD-ROM. Discuss the role that art plays in our exploration of space and Lastly, assemble copies of your students’ work, on our attempts, as human beings, to better understand how we paper, videotape, or computer disc, and ship to Passport to ﬁt into the “big picture” called the Universe. Knowledge, P.O. Box 1502, Summit, New Jersey 07902-1502, Review your students’ work for Activity 4A or 4B. What clearly indicating whether you need the materials back, and knowledge, concepts, processes, skills, attitudes, do you see whether we have permission to use them for project evalua- evidenced there which you can attribute to their involvement tion. PTK hopes to create its own multimedia report on the in Live from the Hubble Space Telescope? How does this relate new territories of knowledge and imagination your students to your school, district, state mandates, or course of instruc- have been exploring.

Activity 4C: Hubble in the Headlines Objective

Students will demonstrate the ability to discuss and debate the value to society of major scientiﬁc and technological enterprises such as HST.

Passport to Knowledge feels privileged to have helped were detected where none had been seen before. construct this unprecedented bridge between students and Spectacular regions of star birth were visualized in aston- the Hubble Space Telescope. (Review LHST Program 1, “The ishing detail (as on the co-packaged poster); and planets Great Planet Debate”) Explain what a truly world-class were detected around distant stars. By getting their “virtu- facility the Hubble is. As you’ll learn from LHST, the al” hands on the Hubble, your students become members Hubble was much in the news in early 1996, with a whole of a very select group of astronomers and scientists. range of discoveries. Incredible numbers of faint galaxies / Tell students that when Hubble was first launched, with vision and human destiny, as well as scientific knowl- astronomers were horrified to learn an imperfection in the edge. He argued that our species always looks to new construction of the mirror meant images were out of focus. frontiers, such as Pluto, the only planet in our solar sys- Some in the press and public wrote off the Hubble and “big tem not reconnoitered by our spacecraft, and that this is science” as too expensive, risky, and complex. Efforts by what keeps young minds and imaginations (“lifelong workers at many institutions in NASA and outside the learners of all ages”) engaged and growing. agency—some of whom your students will “meet” on-cam- Brainstorm these issues with students: elicit their era or on-line—placed corrective optics and a new camera opinions, provoke their comments. Group them into system (which we are using to image Neptune) aboard the teams, based upon natural inclinations (“pro” or “con” Hubble, in the first of several always-planned servicing mis- Big science and projects like the Hubble), and have them sions. Now Hubble’s eye is crystal clear, and the science it research their opinion for a formal in-class discussion or had already accomplished took off. debate. Remind them that in debate, success often comes Procedure Have students research the 1995-1996 to those who understand the best arguments of their Hubble discoveries, especially those not yet in textbooks: opponents, not just their own. use on-line services, and current magazines. Tap libraries Stage the debate. Record the arguments on audio or for books about HST which describe its initial problems, videotape. Have students edit the “official transcript” for and the technical fixes which have made it the superb tool the school, or local newspaper. As with Activity 4B, look it is today. If you have access, download some of the over your students’ arguments. What knowledge, con- discuss-hst archive, and see students’ initial reasons for cepts, processes, skills, attitudes, do you see evidenced wanting to observe specific planets. Review our Planet which you can attribute to their involvement in Live from Advocates’ eloquent comments: how studying impacts on the Hubble Space Telescope? How does this relate to your Uranus can give clues to the evolution of life on Earth, or school, district, and state mandates, or course of instruc- how weather on Jupiter or Neptune can reveal new infor- tion. (Again, please turn to the teacher and student evalu- mation about our own planet. Marc Buie is concerned ation pages—and…fill ’em out and send ’em in.)

40 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Glossary

Astronomical unit (A.U.) the average distance between the Earth and Kilometer a unit of distance equal to 0.6214 miles. the Sun (app. 93 million miles, 150 million kilometers). Light the kind of radiation to which the human eye is sensitive. Atmosphere gases surrounding the surface of a planet, moon or star. Light-year the distance traveled by light in a full year, equal to some 10 Blurring the bending (refraction) of waves of visible light or other elec- trillion kilometers (or about 6 trillion miles). tromagnetic radiation by Earth’s atmosphere, thus preventing an Mercator map a map projection in which the meridians are drawn paral- observer from obtaining as clear a view as possible. lel to each other and the parallels of latitude are straight lines whose dis- CCD a charge coupled device, an electronic detector of electromagnet- tance from each other increases with their distance from the equator. ic radiation, made of silicon chips that respond to incoming radiation Milky Way Galaxy the specific galaxy to which the Sun belongs, so by producing an electric current. named because most of its visible stars appear overhead on a clear, Centigrade (or celsius) temperature scale the scale of temperature that dark night as a milky band of light extending across the sky. 0 0 registers the freezing point of water as 0 and the boiling point as 100 . Orbit a path described by one body in its revolution about another (as Color the visual perception of an object, which for a radiating object can by a planet around the Sun). often be considered an indicator of temperature. Pixel a single element in an image, corresponding to a single dot in a Comet a small ball of rock and ice, typically a few kilometers across, from mosaic picture. which emanates a long wispy tail of gas and dust while nearing the Sun Planet a rocky and/or gaseous body, generally much cooler and smaller in a huge, elongated orbit. than a star; the Earth is one such planet in orbit around the Sun. Concave lens/mirror a lens or mirror with an inward curvature. Primary mirror the main mirror of a reflecting telescope, which gathers Convection cell the physical upwelling of hot matter, thus transporting electromagnetic radiation and directs it toward a smaller secondary energy from a lower, hotter region to a higher, cooler region. mirror, which in turn brings the radiation to a focus. Diffraction grating a filter ruled with thousands of closely spaced paral- Prime focus the place to which a telescope initially directs its collected lel lines, thus causing reflected radiation to spread into its constituent radiation. wavelengths and frequencies. Radiation a form of energy, consisting of mass-less particles called pho- Electromagnetic spectrum the entire range of all the various kinds of tons, which travels at the speed of light. radiation; light (or the visible spectrum) comprises just one small seg- Reflecting telescope a telescope that uses a polished, curved mirror to ment of this much broader spectrum. gather light and reflect it to a focus. Energy the ability to do work. Refracting telescope a telescope that uses a transparent lens to gather ESA the European Space Agency, whose thirteen members are Austria, light and bend it to a focus. Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Revolution the orbital motion of one object about another. Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Finland Rotation the spin of an object about its own axis. is an associate member and Canada a cooperating state. Satellite a celestial body orbiting another of larger size. Extraterrestrial an adjective meaning “beyond the Earth.” Scientific method the investigative technique used by all natural scientists Filter wheels aboard Space Telescope, wheels that hold 48 different fil- throughout the world. In general, some data or ideas are first gath- ters, each of which removes electromagnetic radiation at particular fre- ered, then a theory is proposed to explain these hypotheses and quencies and wavelengths from the beam of incoming radiation. finally an experiment is devised to test the theory. Fine guidance sensor (FGS) a device sensitive to ultraviolet and visible Secondary atmosphere gases that a planet exhales from its interior after light, used aboard Space Telescope to detect guide stars astride the having lost its primary or primordial atmosphere. telescope’s field of view, and thus to direct the telescope accurately Secondary mirror in a reflecting telescope, a small mirror mounted in toward a particular target. the beam of radiation that strikes the primary mirror, and from which Fixed head star trackers small telescopes with a wide field of view radiation is reflected and brought into focus. aboard Space Telescope, used to find relatively bright stars to serve as Solar system a collection of 1 star, 9 planets, 60 moons, and innumer- preliminary guide stars, in order for the fine guidance sensors to track able smaller objects (asteroids, comets, meteoroids) orbiting about the the actual, fainter guide stars. Sun; both the Sun and Earth are members of the solar system. Geosynchronous orbit an orbit around the Earth at an altitude where a Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) an international research cen- satellite moves at just the speed at which the planet rotates; hence, an ter operated by AURA for NASA and located at Johns Hopkins orbit in which an orbiting satellite remains nearly stationary above a University in Baltimore, from which Space Telescope’s science mission particular point on the planet. is designed and conducted, and where data is archived. Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) NASA’s field center in Greenbelt, TDRS NASA’s Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System, a network of Maryland, from which the Space Telescope is controlled. communication satellites high in geosynchronous orbit, used to relay Gravitational force the (always attractive) force that holds matter togeth- data from Space Telescope to Earth and to relay commands from er on a large scale, such as stars within galaxies, atoms within stars, and Earth to Space Telescope. people on Earth. (Gravity: an abbreviated term for gravitational force.) Temperature a measure of the heat of an object, namely of the average Great Red Spot a semi-permanent feature in the upper atmosphere of kinetic energy of the randomly-moving particles in an object. Jupiter, apparently a sort of cyclone, several times larger than the Earth. Terrestrial planets the four, small, rocky planets in the inner part of the Interplanetary space regions among the planets, moons, and related solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. objects of the solar system. Wavelength the distance between successive crests of a wave. Jovian planets the four, big, gassy planets in the outer parts of the solar system; Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 41 Going On-line—an Educator’s Primer

I can only imagine how access to this much information would have changed my own school Researcher Q & A experience. The highway will alter the focus of education from the institution to the individual. Another resource is available to educa- The ultimate goal will be changed from getting a diploma to enjoying lifelong learning. tors and students beginning March 1, BILL GATES, The Road Ahead, ©1995. 1996 and extending “live” through the Whether you’re a classroom teacher, home schooling parent, science center or end of April, 1996. This opportunity is museum educator, or an advocate of school reform and lifelong learning, on-line known as Researcher Q & A: it enables stu- resources can radically transform the learning process. NASA’s K-12 Internet Initiative, dents to ask questions about the Hubble our on-line partner, provides a wide array of on-line materials and opportunities freely Space Telescope, astronomy and what’s accessed via the Internet (often referred to as the “Information SuperHighway”). been happening in the project, with Teachers’ responses to our previous projects convince us that going on-line will answers coming back directly to each indi- enhance and enrich your students’ learning environment. vidual student inquiry. HST researchers, engineers, and support staff—some of You needn’t be an Internet expert to benefit from our on-line resources. Passport to whom will have also be seen on-camera Knowledge consciously tries to provide a wide and flexible menu of alternatives for those during the videos—will correspond with educators with limited time, technology, connectivity and support. Simple electronic mail classrooms, students, and educators in this (e-mail) via a slower, cheaper modem and regular phone line provides a great deal of interactive exchange. Questions will be information, as well as opportunities for interaction with working scientists and project acknowledged and answered as quickly as participants. And it’s easy to use, even for a newcomer to the Internet. At the same time, possible. All questions and answers will be with Live from the Hubble Space Telescope, we’ve made a commitment to those of you archived on-line at our Web site. A useful with more advanced networking skills and access, by expanding our Web site to include keyword search function will allow quick special features such as Web Chat and videoconferencing. access to existing Question and Answer pairs. Suggestions about submitting ques- What’s Available? tions will be posted in the regular Electronic Mail updates-hst newsletters, which will also Electronic mail provides an easy-to-use medium for exchanging ideas and receiving provide tips for asking questions and prac- and sending information (some e-mail programs even allow you to attach graphics tical logistics. Be sure to subscribe to files). E-mail is the traditional first step for those who are new to the “net” and can updates-hst for this key information! be stimulating even if a little overwhelming at times! Field Journals via e-mail Mail lists: updates-hst and discuss-hst From February through April,1996, the Two essential Live from the Hubble Space Telescope e-mail resources are the day-to-day lives of Hubble astronomers, updates-hst and discuss-hst mail lists. When you subscribe to a mail list, you auto- researchers, and support staff will be matically receive all messages or “postings” sent out from the folks managing the list. shared via these research logs/diaries. In the case of discuss-hst, you may also send messages to the list. Students and educators will meet the The updates-hst mail list provides the key link between you and the project by men and women who ultimately make keeping you informed of late-breaking project news, announcements, timely the Hubble an unparalleled scientific resources and special events. Once you’ve subscribed to this list, you will automati- resource. Field Journals from people at the cally receive all updates-hst postings, until you remove yourself from the list. Space Telescope Science Institute, Goddard Space Flight Center, from astro- The discuss-hst mail list is a special conference or discussion forum for educators nauts, university astronomers and other interested in sharing lesson plans and resources, teaching strategies, innovative ways project participants around the world, will to integrate the project into the classroom, coordinating collaborative efforts, and provide an “over-the-shoulder” view of planning special events. It’s also a great place to discuss concerns and questions (and their lives and work—rare, anecdotal and even gripes!) as well as to make suggestions and provide input to the LHST project personal insights on the successes, chal- team. All members of discuss-hst should also be subscribed to updates-hst. lenges, and “human side” of contempo- To join either or both of these mail lists: rary astronomy and high-tech careers. 1. Send a message to [email protected] Many educators have used previous Field 2. Leave the subject field blank Journals as models and motivation to help students document their own participa- 3. In the message body, write: subscribe updates-hst tion in the electronic field trip. These jour- You may also add a line stating: subscribe discuss-hst directly under the above line nals are intended to help students appre- in the message body ciate the great diversity of people and Once your e-mail message is received by our automatic mail program, you will be skills needed for success in a modern-day sent a file providing essential introductory information about the operation of the list. science project. Field Journals will be dis- Please save this information for future reference. tributed via updates-hst, and also archived on our Web site for easy access.

42 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE World Wide Web Resources Special Upcoming Features Getting Connected NASA’s K-12 Internet Initiative has ▼ a Virtual Tour of the Hubble will be Whatever your unique situation, there provided an extensive array of available for all to explore the inner are five essential ingredients to Internet resources, available to those who have workings of the Hubble Space connectivity: access to the World Wide Web, a Telescope and its support network 1. Computer: updated Mac/IBM with graphical interface allowing easy links ▼ Web Chat: weekly opportunities, at expanded memory for World Wide between computer resources regard- regularly scheduled times and dates, Web use (8M recommended) less of their location. Participants need or as arranged by you and new- special software called a “Web brows- found, geographically-remote col- 2. Modem: device which connects er,” such as Netscape or Mosaic, as leagues. Web chat enables real-time, computer to the outside world via phone well as an Internet account supporting text-based conversation with other line. Recommended speed: 14.4 baud or Web access. Once you are connected people on the Web. You’re likely to higher (28.8 if you can) with our Web site, you will find the encounter K-12 teachers, students, 3. Phone line which may be used for following resources: HST project developers and Passport voice or fax when not in use by the ▼ Project News: Welcome, back- to Knowledge development team modem. ground files, recent updates members. Web chat schedules will 4. Internet account: access to the ▼ HST Team: Biographical sketches, be posted to the updates-hst mail Internet may be provided by local Field Journals, related files list and on our Web site. Internet providers, university accounts, ▼ Video Broadcasts: Schedule and ▼ Videoconferencing: For those partici- commercial services like America Online, other key information about the pants who have access to videocon- Compuserve, Delphi, Prodigy, Apple’s E- live telecasts, including current ferencing capabilities (which requires World, Microsoft Network, etc. Check public television and NASA TV special software, camera, and higher with your Department of Education schedules speed connectivity: for CUSeeMe, this regarding statewide education networks: ▼ Featured Events: special time-crit- can be as low-cost as a $100 camera, many states provide reduced rate access ical activities with free software available: see on- for local teachers, so asking around with line for more information) a regular school colleagues and at the district level ▼ Background on the Hubble Space schedule of videoconferencing ses- definitely pays off. Telescope and the target planets, sions will be posted to updates-hst and links to related Web sites 5. Software: communications software and on our Web site. We plan to and Internet application software includ- ▼ Researcher Q & A access and have some of the HST team on hand ing e-mail program, Web browser, etc. database for informative and fun interactions are usually provided by the Internet ser- ▼ Photo gallery of interesting and with students and educators. vice provider. Commercial services pro- relevant images including the vide a package of software that is readi- HST planets, and Hubble’s ly available by contacting their 800 cus- “Greatest—and latest—Hits!” tomer service number. ▼ Teachers’ Lounge: a place for edu- Since there are so many regional vari- cators to meet and greet one ations, you are encouraged to check another via an on-line database, with your in-house or district technolo- Web chat, and sharing of curricu- gy expert about local Internet access lum resources. You can also check We hope you find these Web and and specific logistics about using your out the discuss-hst archive, e-mail resources a key project component computer, software, modem and the respond to the latest on-line dis- as you integrate Live from the Hubble Space Internet. If you have general questions cussion topics and access an on- Telescope into your own unique learning which remain unanswered, or specific line version of the Teacher’s Guide environment, and adapt it to your needs. Live from Hubble issues, feel free to con- ▼ Kids’ Corner: a place for sharing The URL (Uniform Resource Locator, or tact Jan Wee, Passport to Knowledge student work (computer, art, lan- simply the “Web address”) for Live from Education Outreach Coordinator. guage arts, multi-media projects, the Hubble Space Telescope is: (See inside front cover for phone, fax desktop publishing, etc.) http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/livefrom/hst.htm and e-mail contact information.)

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 43 Resources Poetry and Astronomy Ackerman, D. “The Poetry of Diane Ackerman.” in Mercury, Jul/Aug 1978, p. 73 Franknoi, A. & Friedman, A., “Images of the Universe” in Mercury, Mar/Apr 1975, p. 14. On astronomical poetry throughout history. Marschall, L., “Modern Poetry and Astronomy.” in Mercury, Mar/Apr 1983, p. 41 Marschall, L., “Comets and the Muse.” in Mercury, Jan/Feb 1986, p. 10 ON-LINE ON DISK Maynard, C., “Robert Frost: Poet of the Night.” in Sky & Telescope, June 1992, p. 692 Weitzenhoffer, K., “Well Versed in Astronomy.” in Sky & Telescope, Oct. 1990, p. 365 This may sound like a contradic- Brief introduction to astronomy in poetry over the centuries. tion, but if you have no, or slow, access, you and your students can still Mythology and Legends take advantage of the extensive on- Caduto, M.J. & Bruchac, J., Keepers of the Night. Fulcrum Pub., Golden ,CO, ISBN 1- line materials described above, by 555-91-177-3, (800) 992-2908. Native American Sky Legends. using regular floppy disks, formatted Krupp, E., Beyond the Blue Horizon: Myths and Legends of the Sun, Moon and Planets. to work with any computer and word Harper Collins. Collection of astronomical tales from many cultures. processing program. You’ll be able to read Field Journals, search the Krupp, E., “Along the Milky Way.” in Mercury Nov/Dec 1991, p. 162 An excerpt from Researcher Q & A database, and—we the above book on legends and stories about the Milky Way. hope—see so many things of interest, Monroe, J.G. & Williamson, They Dance in the Sky. Houghton Mifflin Co., ISBN 0-395- that you’ll be sure to be on-line for 39970-X, Native American stories and legends. future Passport to Knowledge projects! Ridpath, I., Star Tales. 1988, Universe Books. A collection of myths about the con- Richard Seltzer of B & R Samizdat stellations, mainly from Greek and Roman tradition. Express, a small Boston publisher, downloads all current files on our Art and Astronomy Web site and makes them available in Chaikin, A., “Images of Other Worlds.” in Sky & Telescope, Nov. 1982, p. 423 Mac or IBM formats. You may order Davis, Don, “The Worlds of Don Davis.” in Sky & Telescope, June 1985, p. 503 diskettes for $10.00 per 3.5” high den- Hardy, D. Visions of Space: Artists’ Journey Through the Cosmos, 1989, Limpsfield. sity diskette. You are authorized and Featuring the work of over 60 artists. encouraged to make as many copies as you need to share with students and Hartmann, W. et al., Cycles of Fire. 1987. Workman Pub., Book on stars and galaxies colleagues. Live from the Hubble with many paintings by an artist and planetary astronomer. diskettes will be available in late Hartmann, W. et al., In the Stream of Stars: The Soviet/American Space Art Book. 1991, February and may be ordered by e- Workman Pub. Over 200 paintings and text by artists in the U.S. and former mail or postal mail. Be sure to indicate Soviet Union. whether you want IBM or Mac format, Miller, R. The Dream Machines. 1993, Krieger Pub. An illustrated history of the space- your full name and address, and ship in art, science and literature by a noted space artist. enclose a check, purchase order, or Miller, R. & Hartmann, W., The Grand Tour: A Traveler’s Guide to the Solar System. 2nd. current credit card information. In the ed., 1993, Workman Pub., Introduction to the planets with many artists’ paintings. U.S., there is no charge for shipping and handling. Massachusetts residents Miller, R. & Durant, F., Worlds Beyond: The Art of Chesley Bonestell. 1983, Donning should add 50 cents per disk for sales Pub., Album and tribute to space artist pioneer. tax. Outside the U.S., add $2.00 for Olson, D. & Doescher, R. “Van Gogh, Two For bulk orders of the hands- shipping per order. Planets, and the Moon.” in Sky & Telescope, Oct. on materials sampled in this For orders via postal mail: B and R 1988, p. 408 “mini-kit”: Samizdat Express, P. O. Box 161, O’Meara, S., “Kazuaki Iwasaki: Japan’s Astronomer- Thermal paper and UV beads: West Roxbury, Massachusetts, 02132- Artist.” in Sky & Telescope, July 1985, p. 64 Educational Innovations, 0002. For e-mail orders: Astronomical and Space Art may also be found in (203) 629-6049, or e-mail: [email protected] (Send pay- Sky & Telescope, Astronomy and Odyssey maga- [email protected] ment via postal mail) For more infor- zines. Also look in Astronomy and Sky & Diffraction gratings and color mation about the “Please Copy This Telescope for ads on sets of color slides from filters: R&R Packaging Disk” service, call Richard Seltzer at various space artists. (508) 433-6835 617-469-2269. On the Internet, view space art and learn about HST “Greatest Hits” and Check our 1-800-626-LIVE (626- the International Astronomical Artists other space slides and videos: 5483) Passport to Knowledge Hotline, Association at: Finley-Holiday Films mailbox #6, for updated information http://www.novaspace.com/IAAA/IAAA.html 1-800-345-6707 about how many diskettes are offered. 44 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Student Evaluation Form

The Passport to Knowledge team has tried to make Live from the Hubble Space Telescope informative and fun. Please tell us a little about your response to the project so we can do still better next time. Thanks! Grade level: Teacher name: School: Are you male/female? 1. I watched: Program 1: The Great Planet Debate yes ❏ no ❏ Program 2: Making YOUR Observations yes ❏ no ❏ Program 3: Announcing YOUR Results yes ❏ no ❏ 2. Our class prepared for the electronic ﬁeld trip by: (list any classroom activities you did before viewing the videos) 3. Our class followed up the electronic ﬁeld trip by: (list any classroom activities you did after viewing the videos) 4. The BEST classroom activity we did was: The WORST classroom activity we did was: 5: The BEST part of the videos was: The WORST part of the videos was: 7. We accessed the on-line materials via computer and modem: yes ❏ no ❏ 8. The MOST interesting material we found on-line was: 9. The MOST interesting thing I learned from the whole Live from the Hubble project was:

10. Describe one thing you learned about: Astronomy: How the Hubble Space Telescope operates: How scientists work: How school subjects are used in the world beyond school: 11. Live from the Hubble Space Telescope gave me: Factual Information about Astronomy yes ❏ no ❏ Factual Information about Careers in Science yes ❏ no ❏ Better understanding of basic Scientific Concepts yes ❏ no ❏ Better understanding of the Scientific Process yes ❏ no ❏ Increased interest in Science and Technology yes ❏ no ❏ Increased interest in a Career in Science or Technology yes ❏ no ❏ Increased appreciation for Teamwork yes ❏ no ❏ Increased sense of Connectedness across distance yes ❏ no ❏ Greater ability to use Computers and Telecommunications yes ❏ no ❏ Greater ability to ask good questions and synthesize information yes ❏ no ❏ 12. If in the future you could take more electronic field trips like Live from the Hubble Space Telescope, where would you MOST like to “visit”? How about the following places? Check all that sound interesting: Dinosaur Dig ❏ Amazon Rainforest ❏ Ocean Deep ❏ Mars ❏ Return to Antarctica ❏ 13. Next time I hope my teacher will once again DO: 14. Next time I’d advise my teacher NOT TO:

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 45 Teacher Evaluation Form

Live from the Hubble Space Telescope is the third in the ongoing series of Passport to Knowledge ﬁeld trips. We’ve tried to incorporate feedback from teachers into our previous projects: please take a few moments to tell us how you used the video, print and on-line components so we can learn still more. Returning this form will also place you on our mailing list for future Modules. (A shorter evaluation form to be completed by students is also provided.) Please note: Passport to Knowledge will distribute 500 free copies of NASA’s new Astronomy Village CD-ROM to educators returning completed Teacher and Student evaluation forms by May 30, 1996. Yes, this also applies to home- schoolers with just a few students! I. GENERAL INFORMATION Your name: Professional status (e.g. teacher, principal, Library Media specialist, etc.) School/Contact Address: Phone: Grade Level taught: 1. Number of Classes who participated: # of Students # of Teachers 2. Check all subjects in which this project was used. General Science: ❏ Biology: ❏ Earth Sciences: ❏ Physics: ❏ Math: ❏ Computers: ❏ Language: ❏ Social Studies: ❏ Other: 3. Was the project used as a “Team Teaching” activity? yes ❏ no ❏ 4. Did your school/institution connect with local astronomers, science museums, planetariums, etc. to support your activities? yes ❏ no ❏ 5. Please check yes/no to your use of the various Project Components Live videos yes ❏ no ❏ Taped videos yes ❏ no ❏ Teacher’s Guide (print) yes ❏ no ❏ NASA’s Space Based Astronomy yes ❏ no ❏ Other co-packaged print materials yes ❏ no ❏ Hands-on “mini-kit” (poster, ﬁlter, beads.) yes ❏ no ❏ On-line resources yes ❏ no ❏ 1-800 “Hotline” yes ❏ no ❏ 6. Were you able to integrate this project with your teaching goals? yes ❏ no ❏ II. VIDEO COMPONENTS 1. Which program(s) did you and/or your students watch? Program 1: The Great Planet Debate yes ❏ no ❏ Program 3: Announcing YOUR Results yes ❏ no ❏ Program 2: Making YOUR Observations yes ❏ no ❏ 2. Please indicate by checking your source of the videos: PBS: ❏ NASA-TV (NASA Select) ❏ Educational Network: ❏ Videotape ❏ 3. How many lessons did you give before students viewed the videos? 4. How many lessons did you spend on follow-up after the videos? 5. On a scale where 1 is lowest and 4 is highest, please rate the Importance of the videos to the project, and rate their Quality: IMPORTANCE QUALITY (1 = lowest, 4 = highest) Live programs 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Taped programs 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 6. Rate the Importance of the Live aspect of the project: 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 7. Please describe the most important learning that your students gained from the video components?

8. Do you plan to use the programs again, on tape, in the future? yes ❏ no ❏ III. PRINT MATERIALS 1. Rate the Importance and Quality of the Teachers Guide, “mini-kit” and co-packaged publications: IMPORTANCE QUALITY (1 = lowest, 4 = highest) Live from the Hubble Space Telescope Teacher’s Guide (overall) 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Individual Guide components: Broadcast Information 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 How to use an “electronic ﬁeld trip” 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Program Overviews 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Classroom Activities 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Materials and Resource Lists 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 “How to Get On-line” 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Interdisciplinary matrix and icons 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Glossary 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Co-packaged materials: NASA Space Based Astronomy 1234 1234 Space Telescope Science Institute “Starcatcher” 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Poster 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Color Filters 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 UV Beads 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Diffraction grating 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Heat sensitive paper/cardboard 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Teacher Evaluation Form page 2

2. Which classroom activities did you work on with your students? Please list ALL used, by page number in the Guide:

3. Was there sufﬁcient information to adapt the activities/material to the needs/grade level of your students? yes ❏ no ❏ 4. Please describe the most important learning that your students gained from the Print and “mini-kit” materials:

IV. ON-LINE COMPONENTS 1. Did you and/or your students use the On-line resources? yes ❏ no ❏ 2. Please check all on-line formats used: e-mail ❏ gopher ❏ Web ❏ 3. How did you access the materials? NASA Quest ❏ NASA Spacelink ❏ PBS ❏ Other (please speciﬁc) 4. On a scale where 1 is lowest and 4 is highest, please rate the Importance of the On-line components, and rate their Quality: IMPORTANCE QUALITY (1 = lowest, 4 = highest) (a) Informational resources (i.e. non-interactive) Teacher’s Guide 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 HST Updates (newsletter) 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 (b) Interactive opportunities Researcher Q & A (e-mail to and from the scientists) 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Field Journals/Logs 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Junior-HST Field Journals/Logs 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Discuss-HST 1234 1234 (c) On-line collaborative activities, (e.g. star-census, weather) 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5. Did your students send questions to Researcher Q & A? yes ❏ no ❏ 6. Did your students incorporate the results of their work with on-line materials in their own presentations/reports? yes ❏ no ❏ 7. How would you rate the ease of use of the on-line materials, where 1 is very easy, 2 quite easy, 3 quite hard and 4 very hard 1 ❏ 2 ❏ 3 ❏ 4 ❏ 8. Please describe the most important learning that your students gained from use of the on-line materials:

V. STUDENT LEARNING 1. On a scale where 1 is Least Valuable and 4 is Most Valuable, please rate what kind of student learning resulted from the project. Least Valuable Most Valuable (1 = least, 4 = most) (a) Factual Information Factual Information about Astronomy 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Factual Information about Careers in Science 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Better understanding of basic Scientiﬁc Concepts 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Better understanding of the Scientiﬁc Process 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 (b) Attitudes Increased interest in Science and Technology 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Increased interest in Career in Science or Technology 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Increased appreciation for Teamwork 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Increased sense of Connectedness across distance 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 (c) Skills Ability to use Computers and Telecommunications in schoolwork 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 Ability to ask good questions and synthesize information 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 2. Please describe the most valuable learning outcome you saw in your students:

VI. Future Passport to Knowledge Modules 1. If your students could take more electronic ﬁeld trips, where would they most like to “visit”? Dinosaur Dig Amazon Rainforest Ocean Deep Mars Return to Antarctica Other: 2. What improvements can you suggest for future Passport to Knowledge Modules?

3. Other groups are offering electronic ﬁeld trips at varying costs per school/student: how much would you/your school pay for a Passport to Knowledge project such as Live from the Hubble Space Telescope? Would/could not participate unless free/low-cost yes ❏ no ❏ $50 ❏ $100 ❏ $150 ❏ $200 ❏ $300 ❏ more ❏ Questions? Please contact Passport to Knowledge: fax (908) 277-9590: e-mail: [email protected]

Please mail this completed form, together with student evaluations, to: LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE, P.O. Box 1502, Summit, New Jersey, 07902-1502

LIVE FROM THE HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE 47 Concepts, Themes & Interdisciplinary Connections

Cross-Curriculum Connections of Programs and Activities DR.ANNE KINNEY,

Science Math Language Social Tech. Computers Art Education Manager/ Arts Studies Ed. & on-line Project Scientist, Opening/Program 1 STScI Activity 1A x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x Activity 1B x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x Scientists tend to ask the same Activity 1C x ...... x ...... x ...... questions that kids do when they play… They ask a question and Program 2 Activity 2A x ...... x ...... x ...... that invokes another question… Activity 2B x ...... x ...... x ...... It’s something that people know Activity 2C x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... intrinsically when they are chil- Activity 2D x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... dren and somewhere they forget Activity 2E x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x it. Scientists still do it, and the Program 3 more successful they are, the Activity 3A x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x better they are at honoring the Activity 3B x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... questions that come up. Activity 3C x ...... x ...... …Science is on-going, but the Activity 3D x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x greatest criticism about the way I Closing learned science is that it was Activity 4A x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... always taught that someone else Activity 4B x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x did it, and that they were usually Activity 4C x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... wearing a white coat and, of course, they were usually male Concepts, Themes and Interdisciplinary Connections and they knew all the answers Correlation of Live from the Hubble Space Telescope programs and Activities and, of course, what was the with concepts and themes suggested by Project 2061 and the California Science Framework point. In fact it is really not that way. Science is on-going and if Project 2061 Systems Constancy Patterns of Evolution Scale Models *** you want to know the answer to Ca. Science & Interactions Stability Change Evolution Scale and *** Energy Framework Structure something you better be the one who is asking the questions— Opening/Program 1 you yourself—not someone in Activity 1A x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x another room with a different Activity 1B x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... background than yourself. Activity 1C ...... x ...... x ...... Live from the Hubble Space Program 2 Telescope is unprecedented, we Activity 2A x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x never used Hubble Telescope Activity 2B x ...... x ...... x ...... x orbits for classroom use before. Activity 2C x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x Activity 2D x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x Another unique thing… is that Activity 2E x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x we are trying to have students involved in which planet to look Program 3 at… I would be very happy if Activity 3A x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x they had a feeling that they were Activity 3B x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x Activity 3C x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x the scientists. I would be very Activity 3D x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x happy if they had a lot of unanswered questions. When it was Closing over, I would be happy if they Activity 4A ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... were not content with the plan Activity 4B x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x ...... x Activity 4C x ...... x ...... x ...... that was chosen, in fact they wished it was of another planet because they didn’t get their question answered. In other words, if we caused a lot of trou- ble I would be very happy!

48 PASSPORT TO KNOWLEDGE Signal Path

TDRS Domestic Satellite

Hubble Space Telescope

Space Telescope Science TDRS Terminal Institute Baltimore, MD White Sands, NM NASA/Goddard Greenbelt, MD

Student Placement for Activity 2D: Bouncing Data…

Passport to Knowledge is looking to the future and hopes to work with you to design other new and exciting Modules. Some ideas for future programs are: Live from Mars, Live from Antarctica 2, Live from the Amazon Rainforest, Live from the Ocean Deep, Live from the Place the Dinosaurs Died, Live from Shuttle/MIR, Live from the Fastest Planes on Earth and Live from the North Pole. We hope you agree these are exciting and signiﬁcant topics for “students of all ages”! PTK invites you to be a member of a global learning community and come along for some very exciting adventures over the coming months and years. We look forward to working and learning with you on this exciting adventure. Real Science Real Scientists Real Time

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